Tangled: With a More Modern Twist
by Mrs. Naara
Summary: What if Tangled took place in more of the "real" world? COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1: From One Tower to Another

**AN: So, I've been reading a lot of Tangled Fanfiction lately, and I really like how some people incorporate Rapunzel and Eugene into the REAL world, with college and life and curfews, I really enjoy reading them. Sooooo, I've decided to try my hand at writing one of my own. Hopefully you'll enjoy it! **

Tangled: With a Modern Twist

Chapter 1: From One "Tower" to Another

"Rapunzel? Are you ready to go yet?" my mother called from the first floor of our house.

"Yes mother, I'm coming right now!" I called out, grabbing my last suitcase and running down the stairs with it, the wheels bumping as they hit each of the stairs. Mother covered her ears and sighed.

"Goodness Rapunzel, must you be so obnoxious?" she asked in an annoyed tone. I stared at the floor in shame to avoid my mother's gaze. 17 years with her and I still hadn't grown out of my expression of embarrassment. Mother began to cackle. "Oh I'm just kidding with you darling, must you take everything so seriously?" she asked. I stood up straight and avoided my mother's gaze. I heard a squeak and looked down at my pet chameleon, Pascal.

"I know Pascal, it's a big change, but we can get through it," I said to him comfortingly. Pascal squeaked at my touch. Mother sighed.

"Come on Rapunzel, the moving truck is here, and we must get going!" I nodded and began wheeling my suitcase out the door, but my long hair got caught in one of the wheels. I fell back with a thump on the wooden floor. Mother turned around.

"Oh dear, are you alright Rapunzel?" she asked in a strangely sympathetic tone. I got up, rubbing my backside and moaning a little from the impact.

"I'm just fine, don't worry about me," I said with a laugh. It was these moments that I was glad for her fake sympathy.

"We can get your hair braided in the van, now let's go!" she said sternly. I sighed and followed her out the door, my hair trailing behind. I stopped for a moment and looked sadly at the walls around me. They were plain old white. _Oh well_, I thought to myself. _A new home waits. With brand new walls to paint as I please!_ And with that thought in my head I joined my mother in the van and we took off for our new home… Corona.

* * *

"Mother, what's Corona like?" I asked as I stared out of the window, watching the scenery blur by. My mother sighed and gave me a smile.

"I've told you a million times Rapunzel, it is a quaint little town with a little college, just to your liking. From what I've heard there are lots of nice people there. You can get an art major! I'm sure you'll love it just as much as our old home," she said, pulling up to a toll booth. I looked at the side of the booth and saw the famous crest of Corona on the side. We were almost there! Mother thanked the man at the toll booth and the gate rose, letting us through. We passed a sign that read _Corona City Limits_ which excited me a little bit. We pulled into a little condominium complex called _The Village_.

"Rapunzel, be a dear and reach into the glove compartment and get the information for _The Village _and read mummy the house number that we are in," Mother said suddenly. I did as I was told. House Number 631.

"631," I said, scanning the rest of the page. Mother pulled into a little parking space labeled with a giant **631** painted in white on the gray concrete. Mother put the van in park and stepped out.

"Well Rapunzel, here we are. Welcome to your new home!" I stepped out of the van and stared at the building in front of me. It could be considered a tower. Pascal squeaked on my shoulder, I patted him on the head, not erasing the look of utter shock from my face. This would probably be alright after all.

* * *

"Come on man!" I yelled out from the back of the pickup. My friend Antonio ran as fast as he could, throwing his sack into the truck bed and climbing in. "Hit it, Jack!" I yelled out to the driver. He hit the gas pedal and we were off down the road towards home. Antonio laughed in my face.

"Dude, the crown jewels are ours!" he said, reaching into the messenger bag and pulling out a dusty record. "Best heist yet!" I hushed him and took the disc, returning it to the bag and setting it aside.

"Keep it down you bozo!" I said, whacking him upside the head. "Let's actually get home before we celebrate, okay?" Antonio rubbed the back of his head and grumbled. We pulled into _The Village_ and Jack parked in our spot, 630. Antonio and I got out, taking our loot with us and met Jack at the front of the truck. We examined our goods, and while doing so my gaze fell upon a few men with large cardboard boxes walking into the condo next to ours.

"Looks like we got a new neighbor," I said, pointing out a beautiful girl with really, really long blonde hair, drawing the condo across the parking lot. She had bright green eyes that glimmered in the morning sun, and wore a purple V-neck t-shirt with a pair of worn out jeans. Antonio and Jack looked over at the new girl.

"Wow, she's a hottie!" Jack said with a low whistle. I elbowed him.

"Will you shut up? She'll hear us!" I hissed at him. It was too late, and she had already noticed us. We dropped our bags as she stopped what she was doing and approached us.

"Hi there!" she said happily. I smiled gently at her. Jack and Antonio raised their eyebrows, and I didn't blame them, she was even prettier in person. She held out her hand, expecting something. "I'm Rapunzel, my mother and I just moved here today!" she said cheerfully. She had an odd name, but it matched her perfectly. I took her outstretched hand and grinned.

"I'm Flynn. Flynn Rider, and these here are my roomies, Jack and Antonio Stabbington," I said as friendly as I could. The girl, Rapunzel, smiled at us.

"It's nice to meet you, Flynn, Antonio, Jack," she said cheerfully. Suddenly A taller woman with raven's black hair dressed in maroon sweater and black pants with noticeable gold jewelry on came striding out of Rapunzel's condo. I assumed that it was her mother.

"Rapunzel, come help unpack please!" she said in a sing-song voice. Rapunzel turned and faced the woman, calling out,

"Coming!" She turned back to us and smiled. "Sorry, that's my mother. I should go. Hope to see you around!" she said. I nodded, kind of in a daze.

"Yeah, see you later," I said in a daydreaming voice. She ran over to her waiting mother, who said something unintelligible, and then the two went inside. The next thing I knew, Antonio was snapping his fingers in my face.

"Someone has the hots for our new neighbor," he said matter-of-factly. I shook my head defensively.

"I do not!" I defended. Jack chuckled.

"Just screw her and get it over with," he said. I gave him a disgusted look.

"No, she's different. I just have a weird feeling about her, that's all," I said. Jack and Antonio shrugged their shoulders.

"Whatever you say man, I say you should just screw her," Jack said picking up the bags and heading inside. I groaned and watched as Rapunzel emerged, sitting on the porch and continuing her drawing. I followed my roommates inside. She was definitely different than the other girls in town. Then I noticed, _was she not wearing any shoes? _

**AN #2: Okay, so hopefully you enjoyed chapter 1. I hope I kept everyone at least a bit in character, the thieving, the sarcastic mother, the hair… Well, tell me what you think. I'm waiting for your opinion. See the review button? Yeah, I think you should click it. Or not, you choose. I'll post again soon! **


	2. Chapter 2: The Usual Morning Lineup

Chapter 2: The Usual Morning Lineup

"Okay Rapunzel, I'm going to work. Please remember to take care of the chores before heading off!" mother said to me. I held up my trusty broom and smiled.

"I'm on it mother!" I said cheerfully. Mother kissed my forehead and waved as she got in the van and left. I closed the door behind her. We had been in Corona for about a month now, I had gotten a job at the local restaurant as a waitress so that I could raise money and enroll at Corona Community College. I also needed a car, and Flynn had been kind enough to be my escort on the days my mother could not take me, which were most days… but to be quite honest, I needed my own car.

On this particular morning, I had a little more work to do because of a work party that my mother had hosted the night before. I began my usual routine, sweeping the floor, doing the dishes, washing the clothes, straightening things up and if I was lucky I would work on the living room mural for a bit before work. As I washed the last dish, I heard a knock on the door.

"It's open!" I called out from the kitchen. The door opened and in walked Flynn. I turned off the water flowing from the sink and wiped my hands on a dish towel.

"Good morning, Blondie," Flynn said. I put my hands on my hips.

"Good morning to you too Rider, I thought I told you not to call me that," I said. He shrugged.

"Force of habit," he explained. "Ready to head out?" I nodded.

"Yep, let me just feed Pascal," I said, approaching the glass tank that I kept my chameleon in. Flynn strode over to the tank as I put bits of fruit into the tank.

"What is that, a frog?" he asked. I glared at him with a playfully angry face.

"Chameleon, actually," I said. Flynn ignored my statement.

"Nuance, come on, we don't want to be late!" he said. I patted Pascal on the head and shrugged. I followed him out the door and to his beat up pickup truck. He started it up and put on his seat belt. I put mine on and we were off.

* * *

After a few minutes, Flynn sighed. "So… does your mother know that I drive you to work every day?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Nope, she thinks I walk to work," I responded. Flynn tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Why haven't you told her?" he asked after a moment or two. I sighed and averted his gaze.

"It's a really long story," I said with a sigh. Flynn turned his head back to the road in front of him.

"Well it appears that we're going to be stuck in traffic for a while, I'm all ears," he said in a concerned voice.

"No thanks, I'd rather learn about you," I said with a laugh. Flynn chuckled as we moved forward a little bit.

"Sorry Blondie, I don't do backstories," he said. "However, I will tell you bits and pieces, if you explain to me exactly _why _your mother has no idea that you hitch a ride to work every day." I crossed my arms over my chest and looked down at my lap.

"My mother is… well I guess you could say, over cautious. I don't know why, but she doesn't want me out late or hanging with boys. She'd rather that I stay inside and paint all day. She was so reluctant to let me apply for this job that I had to convince her that I would be back by six every night just so she doesn't worry," I explained.

"So she's a little overprotective," Flynn reiterated.

"A _little_?" I said, surprised. "More like she's the most protective person I know. More like the only person I know, she homeschooled me so that I wouldn't have to go outside." Flynn gave me a sympathetic look.

"Wow, so you never met your neighbors or made any friends?" he asked. I shook my head. I ran my fingers through my hair.

"So, what about you Mr. Rider, tell me what you're willing to tell me. Where are your parents?" I asked. Flynn tightened his grip on the steering wheel and let out a sigh.

"I don't have any parents. I was abandoned as a baby," he said. I gasped.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bring back…" I began. I didn't finish because I found Flynn's hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry about it Blondie, I trust you," he said. The traffic began moving faster. "Well would you look at that? Traffic cleared up. Now let's get you to work." I smiled at him. I had a good feeling about our relationship.

**

* * *

**

I waved slightly to Rapunzel as she made her way into _The Snuggly Duckling Diner_. After that I was on my way back home to meet Antonio and Jack for our latest heist. And by heist, I mean grocery shopping; we were out of milk again.

"So, you seem to be hitting it off with the new girl," Jack said from the passenger seat. I nodded.

"It's been a whole month now Jack. Can you believe that she's never had a friend before me?" I said. Jack's mouth dropped.

"Talk about no social life," Antonio piped up from the back seat. I laughed.

"I think I should keep hanging out with her. She sounds like she needs it," I said. Jack patted my shoulder.

"It's the right thing to do buddy. But just for the record, I'm the first to know when you finally screw her," Jack said. I laughed again as I shut the car off and got out.

"Not going to happen anytime soon," I said. Jack scowled and followed Antonio and I inside the grocery store.

* * *

"Hi, Welcome to the Snuggly Duckling, how many?" I asked almost subconsciously.

"Three please," the customer said. I looked up at the people in front of me, there stood Flynn, Antonio, and Jack.

"Oh, hey guys! Right this way!" I said excitedly. I led them to a table near the back and handed out some menus. I turned to Flynn. "I get off at 5:15 today," I whispered. He nodded and picked up the menu. "Your server will be right with you." I walked to the kitchen and stared out the window at Flynn and his friends.

"Who is he?" my coworker, Amanda asked. I turned to face my redheaded friend.

"Flynn Rider," I said with a goofy grin. Amanda stared at the three men in the booth. A couple of cooks turned towards us, putting some food on plates.

"Flynn Rider?" one of them asked. "The thief?"

"Flynn's a thief?" I asked in shock. The other chef handed Amanda the plates.

"Yeah, but the police have no reason to convict him. He recently made a turn around, it was weird," he said. I looked over at Flynn, Antonio, and Jack. Amanda shrugged as she left the kitchen to deliver the food.

"How long ago was that?" I asked the cook as he handed me a plate.

"About a month ago, he came in here mentioning that he was set for life, oh well. I think it's about time that he cleaned up his act," the cook said. I walked out of the kitchen and delivered the food, staring up at the clock on the wall, 5:00. I got off soon, and then I could spend more time with Flynn. The customer thanked me and began eating. I couldn't help but wonder if Flynn had actually been a thief, or if he still was. I would be sure to ask him later.

**

* * *

**

"Ready to go Blondie?" I asked at 5:15. Rapunzel rolled her eyes and took off her apron.

"Yep, just let me clock out and we can go," she said. I gave her a flirty grin as she put her card in the reader and then put it in her bag. "Let's go," she said.

We drove for a while in silence; Rapunzel seemed to have something on her mind.

"So… what's on your mind?" I asked. "You normally talk all the way home!" Rapunzel turned to face me and sighed.

"Some coworkers were telling me today that you're a thief… is that true?" she asked. I didn't respond right away, she seemed genuinely concerned.

"I was. At one point," I said. I felt ashamed that she had to know that. Rapunzel turned away from me as I pulled into the parking spot. Her eyes opened wide upon viewing the blue van in the parking spot next to us.

"Oh no! Mother's home early!" she cried, getting out of the truck. She turned around and smiled at me. "Thanks for the ride, Flynn," she said with a grin. "See you tomorrow?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," I said as she ran towards her condo. I sighed, she didn't care that I was a thief. Yep, there was definitely something different about her.

* * *

**QAN: Okay, there's chapter 2. Here are the titles for the next 4 chapters, **

** Chapter 3: Mother Knows Best**

** Chapter 4: It Started as a Typical Day**

** Chapter 5: Eugene **

** Chapter 6: Bonding **

**Please REVIEW with ideas and stuff. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3: Mother Knows Best

**QAN: Okay, so here's chapter 3. Be happy, 2 chapters in one day! But my review count is really low, and the alert count is rather high. Does it hurt so bad to review? I don't want to be a downer, but I just don't feel as motivated. Thanks to **_splattermusic _and _IceSiren89_ **for reviewing Chapter 1.** **Here's Chapter 3. **

Chapter 3: Mother Knows Best

I walked in the door and shut it behind me, flicking the light switch. Mother stood against the wall by the stairs, arms crossed over her chest, an angered expression on her face.

"Rapunzel, where have you been?" she asked sternly. I set my purse down on the stairs and avoided her gaze.

"At work… I just got home," I said. Mother's gaze softened.

"By chance were you with that Rider boy?" she asked. I quickly shook my head, not looking up at her. "Rapunzel, are you lying to me?" she asked, walking over and lifting my chin so that our gaze met. "Rapunzel…" she said, "I will ask you again… were you with the Rider boy? What's his name, Frank?" she asked.

"It's Flynn…" I said, ashamed. Mother raised an eyebrow.

"So you have been with him?" she said. I gave her an angry glare.

"Yes I have, so what?" I said as confidently as I could.

"Why Rapunzel, you know I object to you spending time with boys. You're much too naïve for him anyway," Mother said. I clenched my fists.

"I am not, mother!" I cried. "You haven't even met him! He's only been driving me to work because you can't!" Mother looked offended.

"Rapunzel, dearest, if you needed a ride to work, all you had to do was ask!" she said. I clenched my jaw in anger. She had no idea what I was getting at. "Trust me Rapunzel the world is a dangerous place, there are men who will take advantage of you for your innocence. I've heard of this Flynn and he's not the man you think he is. In order to prevent you from getting hurt I forbid you from getting rides from him anymore. I will drive you to and from work from now on," she said. I felt myself tearing up.

"Mother, you're being unreasonable!" I cried in between by tears. "You'll never understand me, I am a human too! I need human interactions! I need a LIFE!" with that I grabbed my bag and ran up the stairs crying my eyes out. I could hear mother tromping up the stairs as soon as I locked the door. I sat down against the door and cried. I heard mother rap on the door.

"Rapunzel, trust my judgment on this one, you'll thank me later," Mother said. I continued wailing. I heard mother sigh. "Oh great, now _I'm_ the bad guy," she muttered before walking away. I got up and grabbed my diary and unlocked it, opening to a new page. I needed to vent, and my diary was just the place to do it.

_Dear Diary,_

_I don't know if you know what it's like to have the interrogation from a parent, but let me just say, it sucks. The feeling of getting home late and having your parent question your whereabouts is the worst. Well for the record, that's exactly what happened to me tonight. And it's only 6:30! I wish that she could understand the dilemma and let me be my own person. My 18__th__ birthday is only 3 months away and she is still treating me like I'm five! _

_Could it be that my rebellion is caused by something? I think I like Flynn… could that be it? Oh well… Maybe I should do something about it. I need advice, and I know just the place to get it. _

* * *

I reclined on the beat up couch in my living room, relaxing after a long day. Jack and Antonio had gone out for a bit, and I was alone. I heard a rapping on my back window and I saw Rapunzel waving at me. I shut off the TV and walked over to open the window.

"Blondie? What are you doing here?" I asked. She looked as if she had been crying. She started to whimper. I looked around, hoping that Jack and Antonio wouldn't walk through the door. "Come around back and I'll let you in," I said. Rapunzel left the window and approached the glass door around back. She walked in and I closed the door behind her. She looked around at her surroundings; I could see a green tinge in her cheeks. "Why don't we head outside, you don't look so good," I said. Rapunzel didn't say a word, she just nodded. I reopened the door and we stepped outside. "So, what's on your mind?" I asked. Rapunzel stared at the ground. She began to whimper.

"I'm sorry Flynn, but my mother says that I can't accept rides from you anymore…" she said. I raised my eyebrows.

"Why not?" I asked, concerned. Rapunzel let out a choked cry.

"My mother… she somehow found out that you were giving me rides, she said something about how you aren't who you say you are and that it's for the best, so I snuck out to see you…" she said. I tried to respond but she burst into tears. I patted her shoulder comfortingly. "There, there," I said. "We'll figure something out, how about you convince her to have a goodbye ride to and from work tomorrow. Then I guess we'll go our separate ways." Rapunzel looked up in horror at me.

"But… Flynn, you were my first real friend," she said sadly. I looked at her with sympathy. She seemed really upset about this.

"Don't worry Blondie, we'll figure it all out, I promise. But for now, I think you should get home, cry it out, and I'll see you in the morning, okay?" I said. Rapunzel sniffed and nodded. I gave her shoulder a little reassuring squeeze. Then she left, using her hair to climb up the side and into her open window. Yep, she was defiantly different than other girls I have met.

* * *

After talking with Flynn I decided to try to convince my mother to let me see Flynn one last time. I knocked on her door and she opened it I gave a little smile and she enveloped me into a hug.

"Oh Rapunzel, I'm sorry that I reacted so badly, I should trust you more," she said. My eyes widened at her sudden change of heart.

"Yeah… hey Mother?" I asked. She let me go and we met gazes.

"Yes Rapunzel?" she asked with a grin.

"Can I have one last ride with Flynn? Just to explain the situation and say goodbye?" I asked. Mother groaned.

"No, Rapunzel. I told you that I forbid it!" she said sternly. I let out a sigh and looked at the floor.

"Well, it's just that… he's the only friend I have, and I think it'd be a lot better if I said the proper goodbye instead of just, ignoring him. You know?" I explained. Mother's gaze took on a kinder expression.

"Very well, if it means that much to you, then you may have one last ride with him. But you must give him up after that, do you understand?" I nodded, ecstatic that she trusted me enough to let me ride with Flynn.

"I understand, Mother," I said. She kissed the top of my head.

"I love you very much darling," she said. I grinned, knowing that everything had worked itself out.

"I love you more," I said.

"I love you most," Mother said, kissing my head again. "Now wash up for dinner, I'm making Hazelnut soup!" she said, pushing past me and walking down the stairs. Halfway down she stopped. "Are you coming or not?" she asked. I nodded and followed her down the stairs; I had a feeling that our relationship just got a little better.

**QAN: Okay, so it's a little different. Uhm, please review, tell me what you think. Next Chapter- **_**It Started as a Normal Day**_** will come when it comes to me. Hopefully this was okay. Just wanted to add some Gothel in there. If you have advice, tell me. What do you like, what do you dislike? Tell me. Please. Thanks. **


	4. Chapter 4: It Started as an Ordinary Day

**OMG Thank you for the added reviews on Chapters 2 and 3! It made me happy! So here is Chapter 4, as I said. I put a little more time and thought into the Chapter because I feel that you guys deserve it. Plus this is Part 1/3 in the climax of the story, where everything starts to make a little more sense. **

**Part 1: It Started as an Ordinary Day**

**Part 2: Eugene **

**Part 3: Bonding **

**So there we have it. Please review and I will update faster! So enjoy Chapter 4 (Part 1)! Oh and thanks to, **_Looka'sMagicHell, Kyoru-KiTTy-ArTist, 13Overload13, Splattermusic, and IceSiren _**for reviewing! **

Chapter 4: It Started as an Ordinary Day

It began as just your typical ordinary morning. After my spat with mother the night before, I was excited that she trusted me enough to spend one last day with Flynn on my way to and from work. We had learned so much about each other that it almost pained me to say goodbye. But before I continue, let me just say that what I thought was good bye, turned out to be just the beginning of my greatest adventure in Corona.

Mother had left for work early, I don't remember exactly what she had said before leaving, and we probably exchanged our usual goodbyes. I left the door open today, just so Flynn could walk in, and we could head off immediately. As I predicted, Flynn came right in, nearly scaring me to death while doing so.

"Good morning, Blondie!" he cried from behind me. I jumped, no literally, jumped up when he said this, dropping the plate I had been drying. It shattered on the floor into two pieces. I knelt down and picked up the pieces, throwing them in the garbage. "Sorry," he apologized. I smiled slightly.

"No, it's fine. It was old anyway. Mother won't really notice," I said. Flynn sighed in relief.

"Are you ready to go? It is our last ride after all," he said. I nodded with a smile. Flynn seemed pretty down about it all.

"Yeah, let's go, and just for the record, I _will_ treat you to breakfast at the diner," I said. "You know, for being so nice to me all this time." Flynn smiled at me, I felt like melting in his hands.

"Anything on the menu?" he asked suddenly. I laughed at him.

"Within reason Mr. Rider," I said in a playful tone. I reached over and tried to grab his keys which rested on a carabineer clip on one of his belt loops. He grabbed my wrist before I could grab them, and gave a playful smile.

"Don't even think about it Blondie," he said. "Now hurry up and get in the truck, breakfast ends at 10:30, right?" I nodded and walked out of the kitchen, with Flynn right behind me. I got into his truck for what I thought would be my second to last time.

**

* * *

**

"So Mr. Rider, what can I get you this morning?" I asked holding out my notepad. Flynn looked at the menu in front of him. I nudged his shoulder slightly. "The ham and cheese omelet is sublime you know." Flynn looked at the menu once more, then closed it and held it out to me.

"I'll take the ham and cheese omelet then, thank you," he said. I took the menu and put it under my arm, writing down Flynn's order.

"That'll be right out for you," I said, giving a little nod and walking away. "Hey Atilla! I need a house special!" I called out, walking into the kitchen.

"Still staring at Rider, huh Rapunzel?" Amanda asked. I turned from the kitchen window to Amanda; she had her arms crossed over her chest, her red hair in a spunky ponytail, her black and white spotted glasses rested on her nose. I turned to face Flynn and then Amanda.

"Yeah, so?" I said defensively. Amanda laughed and put her one hand my shoulder.

"If you like him so much then go talk to him!" she said. I laughed at this.

"I talk to him every day! Who do you think drives me to work?" I said. Amanda gasped, her hands clapped over her mouth. I leaned back on the counter smiling to myself.

"So why aren't you guys an item?" Amanda asked, taking a plate from a chef. She began walking out the kitchen door.

"My mother says I can't accept rides from him anymore, today's my last time getting a ride from him, so I said that I'd treat him to breakfast for being so nice," I explained. Amanda put her hand on her heart and gave me a goofy grin before disappearing into the restaurant. Tyrone, one of the chefs handed me Flynn's omelet.

"Omelet for table 11," he said. I gave him a grin.

"Thanks Ty," I said before disappearing into the restaurant myself. I approached Flynn's table, he had a large book open and he was working diligently on something.

"What are you working on?" I asked, setting his plate on the table. Flynn turned up to face me.

"Oh, just studying for a test I have this afternoon," he said. I gave him a confused look.

"You're in school?" I asked.

"Sophomore at Corona Community College," he said. "I got accepted about three weeks ago," I clapped my hands.

"Congratulations Flynn, I'm so proud of you," I said. He beamed up at me. I looked down at what he was working on. "I'm just going to let you study then. I get off at 5:15 as usual. See you then?"

"Yeah, I'll see you at 5:15," he said, turning back to his book and digging into his omelet. I returned to the kitchen, a little bit more energetic than before.

**

* * *

**

Flynn returned at 5:15, as promised. It made me happy that he wanted to spend time with me. Again, it made me feel like melting in his hands. Of course, I never told him that. We got into his truck and headed off for home, but instead of taking the side streets, we took the freeway.

"Flynn, this isn't the way home," I said, looking at the passing cars. He gave a sly grin from the driver's seat.

"Trust me Blondie, this way is faster," he said. I sighed and looked out my window. All of a sudden I heard his turn signal go on and he got off at Corona Junction. He got into the deceleration lane and slowed down. We stopped at a stop light and he turned his left signal on. I turned to face him.

"Flynn, _The Village_ is to the right," I pointed out.

"Yes, I know Blondie, but the nearest gas station is to the left, and I need to get gas," he said. I sighed and looked at the clock in his car. It read 6:00.

"Flynn, my mother will be getting home right about now. If she sees that I'm not there she's going to get really worried," I explained. Flynn sighed and made his turn. His engine started to sputter and eventually it quit all together, just as my cellphone went off. "Speak of the devil," I said reading the caller ID. I flipped open the phone and put it to my ear. Flynn mouthed _buy time _as I my mother's voice came through the receiver. "Hi mother… yes, I'm… No mother, I'm just about to leave work, I had to pick up my paycheck… well Amanda asked if I'd like to spend the night with her… Amanda is one of my coworkers… she's very nice Mother… I'll call you when I get there, Okay… see you tomorrow… okay, love you… bye," I said, flicking my phone shut. Flynn stared at me.

"Well, what'd she say?" he asked. I sighed.

"She just wanted to know where I was. We have till tomorrow to get home, she thinks that I'm spending the night with Amanda, so we have an hour before she calls back," I told him. Flynn ran his fingers through his hair.

"Well I hate to inform you Blondie, but we are stuck here. Unless we get out and push the truck to the nearest repair shop which is about… six miles from here. And by the time we get it there, it will be dark, and we'll have to find a place to rest for the night, and frankly, if we are going to get you home in time, we'll need more than a night and a morning," he said. I looked at my lap then up at him.

"Well I suppose we should start pushing then," I said.

**

* * *

**

"So, tell me Blondie… why is your mother so worried about you? It's not like you'll get into trouble or anything," he said with a grunt as we pushed the truck down the side of the road. I sighed and stopped to rest, the truck stopping as well. Flynn raised an eyebrow when I didn't respond; I just looked out at the empty road.

"She's just overcautious, that's all," I told him. A car passed by, stopping when it saw us.

"Hey!" the man in the car called out. "Are you folks in need of a lift?" I nodded.

"Yes, thank you sir!" the man got out and took a hook from the back which was attached to a towline. He hooked Flynn's truck to it and got into his car. Then he gave us a rude gesture and zoomed off, laughing. Flynn chased him down the road screaming "Hey! Get back here and give me back my truck!" I ran after him. Flynn stopped in the middle of the road, I caught up with him.

"Great, that's just great! Now how are we supposed to get home?" he cried angrily. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Flynn, it's okay!" I said. "We'll figure something out!" he turned towards me in anger.

"This is your fault! If you hadn't so gladly accepted the offer, we'd still have my truck! Goddammit, all my money was in that truck!" he cried. I subconsciously reached into my pocket.

"I have my paycheck! I can pay back every cent!" I said. Flynn pushed my hand away.

"Don't worry about that Blondie, I have backup money. What I'm worried about right now is how we're going to get home," he said staring out at the setting sun. I heard an engine behind me and I turned, seeing bright headlights in front of me. The car honked and Flynn jumped out, grabbing me and pushing me to the left shoulder of the road, landing on top of me as the car zoomed by. He got up and looked out at the road. I got up and faced him. "What was that?" he cried.

"What was what?" I asked, rubbing my head. Flynn gestured to the road.

"You just stood there like a deer! If it hadn't been for me, you and I would have been road kill!" he cried. I felt my eyes filling with tears. Flynn had never yelled at me before, and it hurt… it hurt really badly. I covered my eyes and ran from him, mother was right… mother was right all along. "Rapunzel! Rapunzel wait, where are you going?" he called out. I ignored him until he grabbed me from behind. I struggled against his grasp. "So that's it then? I yell at you because I'm a little pissed and you just take off? Rapunzel, it's my job to keep you safe and get you home. We can't afford to have you running off!" I continued to struggle but he only held tighter. "Listen; there is a motel down a mile or so. We can stay there for the night, and file a police report in the morning… we'll get you home then," he said. My phone started ringing from my pocket. Flynn didn't let go.

"Are you going to let me go so I can get my phone?" I asked. Flynn stepped back, and grabbed a bunch of my hair like a leash.

"As long as you don't run off," he said sternly. I sighed and pulled out my phone.

"Hi mother… yes, I'm at Amanda's… we were just watching a movie and I forgot to call… alright… I'll see you tomorrow then, okay… bye," I clicked my phone shut and faced Flynn. "How far away did you say that motel was?" I asked.

**

* * *

**

"Room for two please," Flynn said to the man at the desk. He looked at his computer screen and sighed.

"Room 51," he said, handing us a keycard. Flynn took it and thanked the man, making his way down the hall to our assigned room. We walked in and there were two queen sized beds on one of the walls. The curtains were closed and the overhead light was dimmed.

"Well, this'll have to do for the night," said Flynn, stretching his arms over his head and letting out a yawn. I averted his gaze and made my way over to one of the beds, taking off my tan jacket to reveal my purple tank top underneath. I climbed under the covers as Flynn did the same in the other bed after turning off the lights. I could hear light snoring almost instantly. I couldn't sleep to be honest, so much had happened that day, I almost couldn't take it. I put my hands behind my head and sighed, holding in tears. After a few minutes I couldn't take it anymore.

"Flynn? Are you awake?" I called out into the darkness. I heard a groan and some sheets ruffling.

"I am now," came the voice. I bit my lower lip, trying to suppress my whimpers. Flynn sat up in the darkness and got up, sitting on the edge of my bed. "What's wrong Blondie?" he asked. I whimpered a bit more.

"I- I just wanted to apologize for today… I messed everything up, and I feel horrid about it," I said. Flynn sighed.

"I overreacted Blondie, it wasn't your fault in the least," he said sympathetically. At this I began to cry, covering my face with my hands.

"No… don't deny it, it was my fault… I'm so- I'm so sorry Flynn…" I said. It was silent for a moment, and then I felt a hand on my kneecap.

"It's Eugene…" he said out of nowhere.

**AN: Oooooohhhhh CLIFFHANGER! Hahahaha. Okay, so I will post the next part soon. Please review to tell me what you thought; I'm looking forward to it! **

**~MrsNaara **


	5. Chapter 5: Eugene

**AN: Thank you thank you thank you! My review count is getting higher by the minute and I'm so happy! So, here is part 2/3, Chapter 5: Eugene. Oh yeah, and I don't own any of the characters or dialogue. At all… so no copyright infringement intended. IT ISN'T MINE. I DON'T OWN TANGLED OR THE ORIGINAL RAPUNZEL! Okay, so here's the chapter. **

Chapter 5: Eugene

"It's Eugene," I admitted, looking directly at Rapunzel. She sniffed, loudly and removed her hands from her face, her bloodshot green eyes meeting my brown ones. She wiped her eyes.

"What?" she said in a choked tone of voice.

"My name… it's Eugene Fitzherbert… I thought you might as well know," I said. Rapunzel sniffed again. She smiled a little bit.

"Where did Flynn Rider come from then?" she asked. I turned away from her and removed my hand from her knee, and locking my hands together.

"When I was younger there was this book that I used to read to all of the little kids called _The Tales of Flynnigan Rider_. Swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, not bad with the ladies I might add," I said. Rapunzel chuckled at my description of the book that made me who I am today.

"Was he a thief too?" she asked. I looked at her.

"Well… no, actually he was so rich that he could do anything that he wanted; and growing up with barely anything… I got a little jealous, decided to try and be like him…" I explained. "Look, you can't tell anyone about this, it could ruin my whole reputation." Rapunzel reached out and put her tiny hand on top of mine.

"We wouldn't want that now would we?" she asked with a laugh. I laughed myself, giving her a warm smile.

"Well a fake reputation is all a man has, right?" I said. Rapunzel laughed and smiled. She was so pretty… I had to hold myself from just taking her as my own right then. I cleared my throat and got up. "I, I um, should get some sleep… goodnight Blondie," I said, getting back under my own covers. She adjusted herself so we were facing each other.

"For the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider…" she said after a moment. I could feel my face heating up. I felt at loss for words.

"Well, you'd be the first… but thank you," I said. Rapunzel rolled over and was silent. I sighed. There was something about her that just made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The only issue was that I didn't know what made me feel that way. I had just told her my deepest darkest secret, in an attempt at _comforting _her. Don't get me wrong, it worked. But now she knows and I can't take any of it back. Not that I'd want to, she seemed trustworthy. Rapunzel, congratulations… I've decided to keep trusting you.

**

* * *

**

The night passed without a single disturbance, I awoke at the first glimpse of sunlight through the window. The clock on the nightstand read 9:30. I rubbed my eyes and looked over to Rapunzel's bed. She was sleeping peacefully, snuggled in the blankets, hugging a pillow. She was muttering something, so I went over to her so I could wake her.

"Eugene…" she was muttering. "I like that name… Eugene, it has a nice ring to it…" she continued, adjusting slightly so that she was more comfortable. I put my hand on her shoulder and shook it lightly.

"Blondie, come on… get up, we have a long walk ahead of us," I said quietly. She jolted up, eyes wide, the pillow whacking against the wall to the right. She looked around, her eyes locking on me. Before she could say a word, there was a knock on the door. I went to the door, looking out the peep hole. There stood three police men, I couldn't tell if they were there to arrest me or help me. I unlocked the door and opened it just a crack.

"May I help you?" I asked in a deep voice. One of the cops held up a picture of me. I gulped. I could feel Rapunzel moving so she was behind me.

"Yes, we heard that Flynn Rider was in the area and we are searching for him," one of the cops said. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"I'm sorry; I don't know who this Flynn Rider is. I'm just packing up so my girlfriend and I can return to our road trip," I lied. The policeman didn't look like he believed me.

"Sir, may we come in?" one of the other police asked.

"Sure, just let my girlfriend get dressed first though," I lied once again, shutting the door. I turned to Rapunzel who looked quite angry; her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Girlfriend?" she hissed angrily. "Eugene, what is going on?" I couldn't find the heart to look her in the eye.

"Look, we need to get out of here; it just looks like my past is catching up with me, play along, alright?" I said in a whisper. Rapunzel let out an angry huff and rolled her eyes, but she nodded anyway. I gave her a smile as we gathered our belongings. I was glad that I paid for the room the night before so we could leave. I opened the window and stepped out, holding out my hand to Rapunzel. "I'm only going to ask once… do you trust me?" I asked. Rapunzel bit her lip, and then she slowly nodded, taking my outstretched hand. She stepped out and we took off running towards home.

**

* * *

**

We stopped to rest about two miles down the road, hiding in a little book store. I dragged Rapunzel down one of the isles, praying that the police weren't very close behind. To my surprise, Rapunzel began laughing. She leaned against one of the shelves, knocking over a few books. We leaned down and picked them up. Rapunzel stopped and looked at one of the books that lay on the floor. She picked it up and scanned the cover.

"Rapunzel… that's my name!" she said. I rolled my eyes at her statement of the obvious. She groaned and held the book out to me. "Eugene, Rapunzel is the name of this book…" she said. I looked at the children's book in her hands, a girl with long blonde hair hanging out of a tower and a man climbing up to it was depicted on the cover. Rapunzel opened the book and flipped through the pages. She stopped and flipped back a couple of pages. She held up a picture of what looked like a blue radish.

"What is that?" I asked, while examining the picture.

"Rampion!" she said. I felt my face scrunch up at the thought of the name. Rapunzel giggled and pulled out her phone, typing something in and holding the phone to me. "Rampion," she said again. "The name Rampion is derived from its Latin specific name, _Rapunculus_, a diminutive of _rapa_, a turnip, the roots which are boiled tender like parsnips and eaten hot with a sauce. They are sweetish, with a slight pungency, but though wholesome, are considered inferior to other roots now more widely grown for culinary use. The larger roots are reserved for boiling, sometimes the young roots are eaten raw with vinegar and pepper, and occasionally the leaves, as well as the roots, are eaten as a winter salad. The leaves can be used in the summer and autumn as a substitute for spinach." She said. I shook my head in a confused manner, examining the words on the screen.

"How do you know all that?" I asked, handing the phone back to her. Rapunzel laughed and kept flipping through the pages.

"Mother used to grow them during the spring months; her winter salads are never complete without them. It was one of my favorite foods as a child, but when I turned twelve she suddenly stopped growing them, it was weird. I have the definition as a note in my phone whenever anyone asks, which they never do," said Rapunzel.

"So, what does rampion have to do with a children's book?" I asked. Rapunzel handed the book to me, open to a page of a child being stolen.

"Read the name of the woman who stole the baby…" she said. I looked at the woman with raven's black hair in the cloak.

"Gothel…" I muttered. "Isn't that your mother's name?" Rapunzel nodded.

"Something seems a little bit funny. I'm going to buy this book and ask her about it when we get home," she said in a determined voice. "I suggest you stay hidden until I come back, just in case," she added, getting up with her intended purchase.

"I like your thinking Blondie," I said. Rapunzel gave me a reassuring smile before disappearing into the store to make her purchase. I got up and picked up another copy of _Rapunzel_, wondering what exactly was so coincidental about it. As I read, I picked up that the mother got sick, and the father made a deal with Gothel so that his wife could have Rampion. Gothel stole the child when it was born and named her Rapunzel, after the Rampion. She hid the child away when she got older (twelve years old to be exact), to hide her beauty from the world.

"Are you ready to go? The coast is clear," I heard Rapunzel say from above me. I hastily put the book back on the shelf and stood up, brushing off my jacket. Rapunzel giggled and I followed her out. The resemblance between the story and the girl in front of me were almost too similar. I'm sure that she was just as confused as I was, so I didn't bring it up.

**

* * *

**

"You know Eugene," Rapunzel began as we walked down the sidewalk towards _The Village_. "I asked the clerk about the story, and she told me pretty much the entire thing. It made me think… that book is really similar to my life. I'm starting to think that my mother isn't who she says she is," she said. I stopped her and we stood there for a moment.

"Now Blondie, let's not jump to conclusions here," I said. She began walking again with me right beside her.

"What's really weird is that my mother stopped growing Rampion when I was only twelve, in the story, Gothel locked Rapunzel away when she turned twelve. My name is Rapunzel, mother's name is Gothel. It only makes sense!" she said. I rolled my eyes.

"Blondie, it could just be a plain coincidence, you won't know anything until you ask. Besides, why are you bringing this up?"

"I was just curious," Rapunzel said. We were silent for a few minutes until I heard sirens behind me.

"Uh Blondie, we might want to… RUN!" I yelled out as the sirens drew closer. Rapunzel turned, her eyes lighting up with the reds and blues. She began to run ahead of me, I was close behind. She stopped briefly when her jacket sleeve scraped against a fence. She clutched it in pain, but kept going. Our running ended shortly after when I pulled her into an alley way, waiting for the cars to pass. We caught our breath and I noticed a fence. "Come on Blondie, we need to go," I said quickly. She nodded, groaning and clutching her arm. I noticed a familiar light from the other side of the fence. I turned back to her. "Rapunzel, are you okay?" I asked. She nodded again.

"I- I'm just fine… my arm just hurts a little bit," she said, groaning again.

"Come on, we need to get you to a doctor," I said. Rapunzel shook her head.

"I'm fine! Eugene, what is going on?" she asked.

"I ran from cops, it's no wonder they're looking for me!" I said.

"Why were they looking for you in the first place?" she cried in a whisper. I sighed and took off my jacket, ripping a piece of my sleeve from it and tying it tightly around her arm.

"I don't know, I haven't stolen anything in a month!" I said. Then it hit me. "Oh… Antonio and Jack!" Rapunzel gave me a confused look. The gash on her arm began seeping through the cloth. She winced in pain. "I can worry about them later… right now, we need to get you to the doctor or you'll die of blood loss. Your mother wouldn't like _that_ now would she?" Rapunzel didn't argue. I swept her into the air and we began to make our way to the hospital.

_Don't worry Rapunzel… you're going to be okay…_ I thought to myself.

**AN: Okay, so Rapunzel gets hurt. Tell me what you think and you'll find out what happens to Rapunzel next chapter, called: Bonding. Thanks for reading! (Oh and once again, I don't own Tangled… AT ALL.) **


	6. Chapter 6: Bonding

**I'm bored, and my head is full of ideas, therefore I am updating. Please review. I need it to keep going. **** (Don't own Tangled or any of its components, you know the drill). **

Chapter 6: Bonding

I could feel the blood rushing from my head, and I didn't know what was going on. All I could remember is that Eugene and I had been running… from something. Where were we? Where was my book?

"Eu-Eugene…" I muttered. My head pounded. I groaned as he looked down at me.

"Yes Blondie?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Did you grab my book?" I asked. Eugene didn't say a word; he just nodded down at me. I smiled to the best of my ability filled with relief. Eugene slowed down and he entered a building, I could hear faint talking, and then my vision cleared up a bit. Eugene was standing over me, and my arm was wrapped up.

"How are you feeling Blondie?" he asked. I giggled and sat up. He handed me the plastic bag from the bookstore and before I could stop myself, I had wrapped my arms around his neck. There was a knock on the door across the room. A man in a white lab coat came in with a cop next to him.

"Flynn Rider?" the cop asked. I stared at Eugene and nodded. Eugene stepped forward and stood proud.

"Yes officer, that's me," he said. The doctor passed Eugene and came over to me, shaking my hand.

"Well Miss, thanks to Mr. Rider here, you'll be just fine. I can let you go now if you'd like. He expressed that he needed to get you home when he brought you here a few hours ago.

"Wait… a few _hours_ ago?" I cried, throwing my legs over the side of the bed. The doctor nods slowly, confused as to what I happened to be talking about. I passed the doctor and walked over to Eugene, who was talking to the cop. I wrapped my arms around one of his.

"Is something wrong officer?" I asked, hoping that Eugene wasn't in trouble.

"Well besides running from officers, he isn't in trouble. The Stabbington brothers have disappeared; we thought he might know where they'd be. Oh, and we found his truck in a dump out in Kingsboro," the cop said. Eugene sighed, and gave me a reassuring smile. "I also overheard that you need a ride home. Am I correct miss?" the officer asked.

"That's correct sir. My mother must be terribly worried by now," I told him. Eugene nodded to express the importance of my dilemma. The cop says something inaudible into his radio, and then he turns back to us.

"I can give you a lift home. Where do you live miss?" he asked.

"_The Village_," I told him, happy that I'd finally get to go home. Eugene looked down at me, and then he turned to the officer.

"With all due respect officer, I'd like it if I could be the one to take the miss home," I said. The officer looked at Eugene with a skeptical expression. I nudged Eugene and his gaze fell to meet mine.

"Eugene, please… it's getting late. Mother will get worried, and she'll realize that I lied to her, and she'll… she'll… please Eugene, we need the ride," I said. Eugene sighed and turned back to the officer, as did I.

"We'll take that ride."

**

* * *

**

"Oh… Oh Rapunzel!" my mother called, running out of the house and grabbing me in a hug. The officer and Eugene got out of the car. She let go of me and grabbed Eugene around the neck. "You…" she hissed. "How DARE you!" Eugene struggled against her grip. I tried to get mother to let him go.

"Mother! Stop it! He only brought me home!" I cried. Mother didn't lighten her grip on Eugene. The cop grabbed her and pulled her off.

"In a cop car?" she cried. "That's it! Rapunzel, I absolutely FORBADE you from ever seeing this man again!" she cried.

"Now mam, his car got stolen, and I got them home. It isn't his fault," the cop explained. Mother sighed and put her hand to her forehead, letting out a loud sigh.

"I'm just glad you're safe darling," she said. Eugene coughed and beckoned me over. We stepped to the side while the cop talked with Mother.

"Don't worry Rapunzel, I'll figure out a way that we can keep seeing each other. I need to buy a new car anyway." I didn't know what he was hinting at, but I did know that he had a plan in mind. The next thing I knew, his arms were around me in a hug. He said goodbye loud enough for mother to hear, and then we went our separate ways, for the time being anyway.

**

* * *

**

"Hey mother?" I asked, sitting at the kitchen table as a steaming hot bowl of beef and vegetable soup was set in front of me.

"Yes dear?" she asked. I got up and retrieved my book from the living room. I set it in front of her, open to the page that illustrated a garden filled with rampion. Mother looked up at me, confused.

"Why'd you stop growing rampion?" I asked, hiding my real question behind the innocence. Mother sighed and looked up at me.

"Oh, I don't remember, it's been many years since I grew rampion hasn't it?" she stated, flipping through the pages.

"You didn't answer me, mother," I said. Mother looked up at me from the book. She closed it and passed it back to me.

"Why are you asking about rampion anyway?" mother asked. I knew that she wouldn't answer my question so I changed the subject, or rather, she did. "Rapunzel, what happened to your arm?" she asked. I rolled my sleeve down quickly.

"Nothing…" I stammered. Mother came striding over and grabbed my injured forearm, causing me to wince in pain. She violently grabbed my sleeve and pulled it back down, revealing the bandages that were wrapping where I had been cut. She began unraveling the cloth to reveal a line of ten stitches lining my arm. She let out a gasp, and stumbled backwards.

"Rapunzel… what happened?" she asked. I began to recover my arm in the bandages.

"I slipped and cut my arm on the way home. It's no biggie," I exclaimed. I pulled my sleeve down and walked over to mother.

"No biggie? Rapunzel, you have ten stiches in your arm!" Mother cried. I sighed and we sat back down, trying to enjoy our dinner. I could only pick out the little pieces of meat that I noticed, as well as the broth. My head started to pound and I winced. I set my spoon down and took my book, making my way towards the stairs.

"I'm sorry I can't finish mother, I lost my appetite," I said. Mother stood up and wrapped her arms around me in a hug. It wasn't warm or comforting like Eugene's had been.

"Goodnight dear, I love you," she said, planting a kiss on my head. I gave a tired smile to my mother.

"I love you more," I said sleepily.

"I love you most…" Mother said before I went upstairs to my room. I shut the door gently behind me and went over to the window, opening to get some off the cool night air. Maybe that would clear my head. All of a sudden I heard something from down below.

"Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" Eugene's voice called out. I looked down in the darkness and saw Eugene standing below me.

"What?" I said with a laugh. "Let down my hair?" Eugene nodded quickly, pulling on his own hair. "O-kay…" I said hesitantly, throwing my long hair over the side of the wall. Eugene grabbed onto my hair, and yanked, nearly causing me to fall out the window. "Hey! Be more careful!" I said as Eugene scaled up the wall. He got onto the windowsill and threw his legs over the side that faced in towards me.

"Hey!" he said with a toothy grin. He jumped to the floor with a light thump and we faced each other.

"Rapunzel? What's going on up there?" my mother's voice sounded. My eyes widened and I gestured silently for Eugene to get in the closet. The door swung open as I threw a nightgown over my head. Mother stood with her hand on the door handle, she sighed. "Everything okay dear? I heard a thump," she asked. I nodded.

"Yes mother, I just stubbed my toe on the bed post," I lied. Mother shrugged.

"Okay, get some sleep dear," she said, closing the door. I sighed in relief and opened the closet doors to let Eugene out.

"That was close," he muttered silently. I nodded in response. He gently held my injured arm in his hand.

"It's fine Eugene," I told him. He looked into my eyes and smiled slightly.

"I just wanted to tell you that I got a job so that I could buy a new car," he whispered. I clapped my hands together and hugged him.

"That's great news Eugene! Where at?" I asked.

"The Snuggly Duckling," he replied with a grin. I grinned back temporarily, then my smile faded.

_Wait… What? _

**AN: And thus ends the big climax of the story. But don't worry, more modern will be coming your way soon! Please review. R and R plzzz. I need to think of Chapter 7! REVIEWWWWWW**


	7. Chapter 7: May I Take Your Order?

**So, I've been doing a lot of thinking about said "climax" and I think another one is in order just because there are 10 chapters left, and as one of my reviewers, AIOFanNCRM, mentioned, "mumsy dear isn't quite up to par" and I completely agree with said statement. So I am going to work on her. I guess the added kindness is just her trying to trick Rapunzel into thinking that she (Gothel) IS her actual mother. But Rapunzel is getting suspicious after finding that book. Plus Flynn/Eugene needs to get in a bit more trouble. But he's starting to "see the light" so to speak. STARTING TO, he hasn't yet. Okay, I've rambled on long enough. So without further ado, here is Chapter 7: May I Take Your Order?**

**(Oh yeah, and I don't own Disney or Tangled or any of its components. I'm just a fangirl lol.) **

Chapter 7: May I Take Your Order?

**Eugene**

"The Snuggly Duckling!" I said excitedly, yet quietly. A smile crossed Rapunzel's face for all of three seconds before it faded into a confused expression. "What?" I asked, trying to find the reasoning behind her expression.

"I work there, Eugene," Rapunzel stated. I shrugged my shoulders and made my way back over to the window.

"You think I don't know that?" I said with a laugh. "And Atilla says _you_ get to train me in the ways of being a waiter," I added after a moment. Rapunzel's expression turned into a scowl. It wasn't a "you disgust me" scowl; it was an "I can't believe you" scowl. Nevertheless, I could tell that she was happy on the inside. She just didn't want to admit it. "You'll thank me later," I said. Rapunzel threw her hair over the side of the window and I slid down it, landing in the grass below and waving to her. Before she could say a word, I took off towards my own house.

**Rapunzel**

_Dear Diary, _

_I can't believe it… or rather, HIM. We just spent the day running from cops, and he has the nerve to CLIMB UP MY HAIR, and then tell me that he got a job WHERE I WORK! The nerve of some people! Now granted, I've never known what that term meant until just recently, but THE NERVE OF SOME PEOPLE! It's… so… It's so… __**romantic**__! I've never felt this way about anyone. I mean, mother is great and all, but lately I've been having doubts. Eugene and I found a children's book that shares my name today. The witch in the story has mother's name. I need to look into this, I have a feeling that everything is going to be different from here on out. I'm still having doubts myself. My hair is now 20 ft long, and I have never had a haircut before. 20 FEET, it's all so strange now that I think about it all. I need to find a way to ask mother about it. Sometimes I wonder if mother reads my diary. No, she'd never do that. Well, I should just get some sleep and try to figure out everything that is going on. _

I shut and locked my diary, putting it under my mattress and shutting of the overhead lights. I couldn't help but think of Eugene's words, he acted so carefree as if he expected me to be happy about it all. How could I be happy? No, I was practically ecstatic that I would get to see him every day. Even after mother forbade us from seeing each other, she never said ANYTHING about having to be coworkers. As I felt myself dozing off, I couldn't help but think that maybe working with Eugene wasn't so bad after all…

* * *

"Alright everybody, stop what you're doing!" our manager called out. We all made our way over to him. We never knew what actual his name was exactly; we just called him Mr. Nose, (big nose behind his back). All of the employees gathered around Mr. Nose and who they thought was a new employee, but I knew as Eugene. "We have a new duckling, this is Flynn Rider and he's our newest recruit! Let's give him a warm welcome please!" Everyone began clapping for him. "Rapunzel, you're in charge of the wait staff so it's your job to get him up to speed, teach him how to work the bill machines, and properly wait on the customers," Mr. Nose said to me. "Now everyone back to work! The lunch rush is coming in soon, and we have a party of 18 coming in a 2:30!" The staff dispersed, leaving me, Flynn, and Amanda.

"Well, well, so this is the infamous Flynn Rider. I was wondering when you'd show your face back here. I'm Amanda, it's good to meet you," Amanda said, sharing a handshake with Eugene.

"It's a pleasure Amanda. I've heard plenty about you from Rapunzel," Eugene said. I smiled at the two of them. They were my closest friends, and frankly my _only_ friends.

"Well, I should show you around the kitchen," I said. Eugene smiled and looked around.

"Show the way, Blondie!" he said energetically. We walked around the large kitchen, I pointed out all of the things that he'd need to know.

"Over there is the order hook, you put the order slips there and the chefs will take care of them, they call out the finished orders and you take them to the respective tables. Here we have our chef crew, Tyrone, Kelly, Michael, Reed, and our head chef, Atilla. You'll get to know him quite well," I said, pointing to each employee as I said their names. As soon as we made our way of earshot Eugene leaned over to me.

"Why does Atilla wear a metal knight's helmet?" Eugene asked in an inconspicuous manner. I laughed at his question. Then in all seriousness, I stated,

"No one knows…" We moved out into the restaurant, where I clapped my hands in a specific pattern. The wait staff lined up in one row. There were 10 of us (including Eugene and myself). "As Mr. Nose said, this is Flynn. He's our newest duckling, so treat him right okay?" the entire staff nodded. "I am assistant mother duck, our real mother duck, Amber is out sick, so you'll meet her later. You know Amanda, and this is Bud, Leo, Jackie, Opal, Erica, and Wendy," I said. "Alright ducks, back to work!" I said. The wait staff dispersed as I led Eugene to the bill machine. "This is our bill machine," I began.

"You mean cash register?" Eugene asked. I shook my head.

"No, _bill machine_. We can check what people have ordered and print up a bill." I opened a drawer where a line of black folders rested. "The folders are over here," I closed the drawer and pointed to the card reader. "And this is where you swipe their cards," I typed in a password and a drawer popped open, full of cash. "This, Eugene, is the cash register," I said. Eugene nodded as I closed the drawer. "Our password is _ducks_. Your employee ID is duckling10," I finished. "Any questions?"

"None that come to mind," Eugene said with a shrug. I nodded and led him to a table where a family of six sat.

"How is your meal?" I asked. The father, looked up at me, then his eyes glanced at Eugene.

"Everything is wonderful, thank you," he said. Eugene cleared his throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, this is our newest employee, Flynn," I said. The father nodded, and the children smiled at Eugene. "Enjoy your meal folks." And with that we made our way around the restaurant, introducing Eugene to each of the regular customers. He seemed to get the gist of it, so I turned him loose.

"I don't understand why you're not mother duck," Amanda told me from the kitchen as I collected my order.

"Because Amber is Big Nose's girlfriend, favoritism," I said. Amanda sighed.

"So, are you and Flynn an item yet?" she asked as I collected a tray for the plates. She took one of her own and helped collect the plates.

"No Amanda, we are not an _item_. Not yet anyway," I told her. We delivered the food and made our way back to the kitchen, setting the trays in the rack and relaxing against one of the counters. "Mother has no idea that he works here either," I added. Amanda looked out the window where Eugene was taking an order. He took their menus and made his way into the kitchen.

"I should have gotten a job here years ago!" he stated. "Everyone is so nice." I smiled at him as he dropped off his orders.

"Well I'm glad that you're enjoying the job!" I told him. Amanda left to go check on people, leaving Eugene and I alone to wait for our orders. I looked up at the clock, it read 5:00. "15 minutes till I get off," I said with a groan. "Is it just me? Or is the place considerably busier today?" I asked Eugene. He shrugged.

"I dunno, it's only my first day," he said. We stood in silence for a few moments.

"You know Eugene, I've really enjoyed spending time with you these past couple of months," I told him. Eugene flashed a smile at me.

"I've enjoyed getting to know you Rapunzel," he replied. We stood in silence, unable to find a topic to discuss. "Hey, Rapunzel?" he asked suddenly.

"What's up?" I asked, turning to face him.

"Thank you, for everything…" He wrapped his arms around my back, pulling me into an embrace. I could feel my heart beating in my throat, wondering what was going on. He had gripped me in a hug and just held it there, his breathing rhythmic and comforting. I heard the order bell go off and I broke the embrace and began to walk away, but not before he did something I never would have expected from Eugene. He grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me back, leaning down and kissing me passionately… right on the lips.

**Oooooooooooohhhh FIRST KISS! Hahahahahaha, I've been waiting for the perfect moment. PERFECT MOMENT. Hahaha, your thoughts? Review please, Chapter 8 will be up later today! Thanks so much!**


	8. Chapter 8: Eight Ways to Say I Love You

**Hooray for FLUFF! Now that they've kissed, I can have more fluff between them. So for you romantics, these future chapters are for you! **

Chapter 8: Eight Ways to Say "I Love You"

**Eugene**

It was a spur of the moment plan. I would thank her, and then make my move. See? Spur of the moment. And to quite honest, I didn't expect the response I got from her. Our lips had locked, and I broke away, expecting a stammer, and then her running off to be embarrassed, like most of the girls I've been with over the years. But this girl was different, I know that now. I broke our kiss, ready to explain, but before I could, she had her arms around my neck and her lips on mine. I wasn't expecting my heart to beat faster, nor did I expect that she knew what she was doing. It was amateur, but it was absolutely wonderful.

"Flynn! Rapunzel! Get back to work!" Mr. Nose sounded. Rapunzel jumped back, her face flushed crimson as she averted my gaze and went to retrieve the order. Mr. Nose stared at me angrily, his arms crossed over his chest. "Any explanation?" he asked.

"Nope, I've just been wanting to do that for three months now," I told him. Mr. Nose got up in my face.

"I'm one for romance Mr. Rider, but in the workplace it is unacceptable," he growled. "Consider this strike one…" with that he walked away. My eyes followed Rapunzel as she left the kitchen, and came back five minutes later with Amanda in tow. They made their way to the back, and the next thing I knew, Amanda was squealing and jumping up and down. The bell above the entrance to the restaurant rang and in walked Gothel, in all of her evilness. I ducked under the counter to avoid being seen by her. Rapunzel saw her mother waiting and she looked up at the clock. As did I, 5:15. She hung up her apron and clocked out, leaving the kitchen without a word to me. I noted that she seemed significantly happier than before as she left.

**

* * *

**

**Rapunzel**

He kissed me… he really kissed me… My first kiss, from anyone! I ran from the kitchen, delivering the food I had in my hands. The customers thanked me and I saw Amanda putting money in the cash register.

"Code Red, kitchen, two minutes," I hissed in her ear. Her eyes widened as she finished her business and tucked the leftover money in her apron. I grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the kitchen, ignoring Eugene completely.

"What's the matter?" Amanda asked in a whisper. I blushed at the thought of Eugene's mouth on mine…

"Flynn kissed me…" I said in a panic. Amanda's eyes brightened and a goofy smile lined her face, she began jumping up and down like a child who just heard the best news in the world.

"What was it like? Was is rough? Sweet? Did you kiss him back?" she asked in frenzy.

"Well… it was… really… I don't know the word for it exactly, passionate?" I said, not sure of how to feel right that moment. "And yes, I kissed him back," I added. Amanda's grin turned ear to ear and she hugged me.

"So does this mean you guys are an item now or something?" she asked. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at Eugene who was right where I left him. I turned back to Amanda.

"That's up to him, now isn't it?" I stated. I looked up at the clock and saw it was 5:15. I took off my apron and removed the tips from it, putting the money in the pocket of my jeans. Amanda followed me as I hung up my apron in the place of where my purse was. I put my card in the reader and took the card.

"Call me tonight, okay?" Amanda said, giving me a hug. I nodded and put my purse on my shoulder. I shot a glance at Eugene who was hiding from something, most likely mother. I walked out without a word to him. I'd let him climb up my hair tonight if he wanted.

"Are you ready to go dear?" Mother asked as soon as she saw me. I gave her a smile.

"Yeah, let's go home," I replied. Mother put her arm around my shoulder as we walked out together.

"So dear, did anything interesting happen today?" Mother asked. I nodded.

"I got to train a new employee," I said. This statement was true, I trained Eugene.

"Oh really, what's their name?" Mother asked as we got in the van. I blushed at the thought of Eugene. Should I tell her his name is Eugene? I made my decision as Mother pulled out.

"His name Stephen," I lied.

**

* * *

**

**Eugene**

"Okay you sissy, she's gone," Amanda said, holding out a hand to me. I took it and stood up, brushing off my apron.

"I'm no sissy," I told her. Amanda just laughed.

"Says the man who hid from an old lady," she said. I groaned and leaned back on the counter.

"Rapunzel's mother is quite the demon, she tried to choke me yesterday," I said. Amanda laughed at my statement.

"She seems nice to me," she stated. I rolled my eyes.

"She may seem nice but she finds someone she doesn't like and she will destroy you!" I exaggerated. Amanda continued laughing.

"I'm so sure…" she said sarcastically. "Oh, and Mr. Nose says that you're on clean up tonight for your little scene with Rapunzel." I groaned.

"Everything has its consequences," I said. Amanda nodded at this.

"So, are you guys an item now? You and Rapunzel, I mean," she said. I shrugged.

"I suppose so if you want to think of it that way," I said. Amanda laughed.

"Ah, young love…"

"Do you ever stop laughing?" I asked. Amanda shook her head.

"Why? Does it annoy you?"

"Yes, very much so…" I said.

"Then no, I never stop laughing," she said, laughing just for good measure. I rolled my eyes and we got back to work.

* * *

**Rapunzel**

I couldn't stop thinking about kissing Eugene. It was all that occupied my mind. I thought about whether or not I had fallen in love with him or not. I liked him, as more than a friend. That was for sure. But I wasn't sure if I had fallen in _love_ or not. I leaned on the windowsill, waiting for Eugene. It was 10:00 and I still hadn't heard a thing from him.

"Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" I heard Eugene call out. I smiled to myself as I looked down to see Eugene standing there. I threw my locks over the side of the wall. He scaled up and sat on the windowsill like he had the night before. Before I could stop myself I kissed him, just because. He seemed to enjoy it as much as I was enjoying it. We broke apart and I let him in.

"What took you?" I whined. Eugene flashed a smile at me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close to him.

"Why? Did you miss me fair maiden?" he said playfully. I nodded my head seriously. He laughed and we broke our embrace. I could tell he was thinking something by the glimmer in his eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked. Eugene snapped back into reality.

"Just thinking about how cute you are," he said. I giggled and could feel my face heating up.

We talked for hours and by the end of the night, had decided to begin dating. Behind my mother's back of course. I had never felt so rebellious, and as long as mother didn't find out nothing bad could come of this arrangement. Eugene kissed me goodnight and I let him slide down my hair, with that he was gone. I didn't know how to describe my feelings for him other than that I had fallen in love.

**

* * *

**

**Eugene**

Rapunzel and I had been dating secretly for about a month, and her 18th birthday was growing near. I didn't know how to describe my feelings for her exactly. I had changed for her when we met. I sensed something different about her from the very beginning. Amanda shed some light on the subject one morning at work,

"You're in love big guy," she had told me. "There's no other explanation! Now you just have to tell her."

"Tell her what? I love you?" I asked. Amanda nodded.

"You have to tell her Flynn, if you've got it that bad for her then just come out and say it!" And thus began my 8 attempts at telling her that I loved her.

**Attempt #1 (Go Fish) **

We sat on her bed, playing cards. It was almost midnight, which was technically my curfew. She set down her last cards with a playful grin on her face.

"I win again, Eugene. You need to get better at go fish," she said. I laughed. I kissed her softly.

"You're right, I do… Hey Rapunzel, I want to tell you something rather… important," I said. Rapunzel stared at me.

"What is it Eugene?" she asked. I gulped, unable to say the words.

"Nevermind…I- I… I should go," I said quickly.

"No, Eugene, what is it?" she asked.

"I'll tell you some other time," I said. She let her hair out of the window and I slid down it. As I made my way home I slapped my forehead. _Bonehead move Eugene… _I thought _Next time, for sure. _

**Attempt #2 (Paintings) **

_Alright Eugene, you're just going to say it this time! _I thought as Rapunzel showed off her newest painting.

"It's lovely Rapunzel," I said.

"You really think so? It was one of those paintings that I just did because…" she said. I nodded.

"You know what else is lovely?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her.

"What's that?" she asked.

"You are," I said in a husky voice. She giggled and we kissed. I looked into her eyes, ready to say it. But a light clicked on under the door and I was shoved hastily into her closet. When I emerged it was time for me to go. _Why is it so hard to admit the truth? _

**Attempt #3 (The Necklace)**

"Okay Rapunzel, open your eyes," I said revealing my surprise. She opened her eyes and saw the gift, wrapping her arms around me. I decided that this was the moment to tell her.

"You're so good to me Eugene," Rapunzel said, admiring the jewels that I had put around her neck.

"I know," I said. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Rapunzel smiled and we hugged. But the clock read midnight and I had no time left to tell her. As I slid down her hair I mouthed _you complete me_. She mouthed _and you are too_, before I reached the bottom. I would have said it then, but I was afraid of waking anyone. _Another failed attempt at the truth. _

**Attempt #4 (Pep-Talk) **

"So, have you told her yet?" Amanda asked as I waited for my order. I shook my head. "When are you going to tell her?"

"You think I haven't been trying for the past few weeks?" I asked as Rapunzel walked in.

"Trying what?" she asked.

"To get a promotion," I lied hastily. Rapunzel hugged me.

"You'll get it eventually," she said before leaving again. I sighed.

"Just say it Flynn," Amanda said. "You just have to say it."

**Attempt #5 (Flowers and chocolate) **

"Eugene, we need to be more careful. Mother is getting suspicious of these gifts," Rapunzel told me as I handed her the flowers and chocolate that I bought earlier that day.

"I know that, don't worry about it," I told her. She took one of the chocolates and ate it, smiling at the taste.

"Caramel, my favorite!" she said happily. I smiled, knowing that I had gotten it right after all. I wanted to say it now. But it didn't feel right; something about the moment was telling me that I shouldn't say it. So I left as usual. The voice inside my head murmured from time to time _The time will come soon enough. Just wait._

**Attempt #6 (Another reassuring push) **

"You haven't told her yet?" Amanda said angrily as we closed up the restaurant for the night.

"God Amanda, you sound like the mother I never had," I groaned. "No I haven't, Rapunzel's been really interested in investigating her past right now. I haven't seen her in days." Amanda rolled her eyes.

"Flynn, you love her right?"

"With all my heart," I confirmed. Amanda gave an evil grin.

"Then just come out AND SAY IT!" she yelled. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"If I ever see her again, I'm leaving!" I said walking out the door.

"Flynn…" Amanda said while tapping her foot.

"Yeah, yeah, I know… clock out," I muttered making my way back into the kitchen.

**Attempt #7 (A week before her birthday) **

"I feel like I'm getting closer to the truth Eugene! Mother hasn't been answering my questions, but there's this festival on my birthday, the festival of lights. The local millionaires host it every year for their long lost daughter. I feel that we can figure stuff out if we go to it!" Rapunzel said.

"Well I'm glad that things are going well," I told her. We embraced for the first time in a week.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around…" she said. I kissed her gently.

"Don't worry about it," I said. "We'll go to the festival together if you want." Rapunzel's face lit up.

"Really, you'll take me?" she cried.

"Yeah, if you want to go so badly," I said. Rapunzel kissed me happily.

"You're so wonderful," she said. The clock read midnight as she said this. As routine, I slid down her hair and we parted ways for the night.

**Attempt #8 (Come out and say it) **

"Okay Eugene, just say it… you've been waiting for weeks now. Just say it!" I muttered aloud to myself as I climbed up Rapunzel's hair. I climbed into her window and swept her into a kiss before she could even say hello.

"Someone's feisty this evening," Rapunzel said playfully. I laughed and took her into my arms.

"Rapunzel, I've been waiting to tell you this for such a long time now. I feel the time is right, so I'm just going to say it," I said. Rapunzel gave me a confused look.

"I have something to tell you as well," she said with a smile. I took her hands in mine. "You can go first," she added.

"Okay… Rapunzel, I love you," I said. She gasped and it turned into a smile.

"I love you too Eugene," she said. This shocked me a bit.

"You do?" I asked.

"That's what I wanted to tell you, but I wasn't sure if you felt the same way," she said. I let out a broken laugh and hugged her.

"That's strange, I thought the same thing," I told her. "I'm serious Rapunzel… I love you, a lot."

"I love you as well," she said. I didn't have the need for more words. I needed my lips for something else, and apparently Rapunzel felt the same way.

**See? Fluff. I like fluff. Next Chapter will be up soon, but I have to get ready to go to my grandparents house to see my uncle in **_**The Merry Wives of Windsor**_** as JOHN FALSTAFF (main character). So I'll post when I get the chance. **** Review plz! (Maybe I can post later today if I can get the time)**


	9. Chapter 9: 20 Million Dollar Hair

**I 3 My reviewers. This is quickly becoming one of my more popular fics. So I'll keep going. Granted it isn't nor will it ever be as good as What You Don't Know or Hangman's Noose, or even the original Tangled, but hey, I try. So here's Chapter 9: 20 Million Dollar Hair**

Chapter 9: 20 Million Dollar Hair

**Gothel **

Rapunzel's behavior had been getting to me. She came home happy and smiling every day, which since that Rider boy brought her home has been happening a lot lately. She also seems more interested in her past, why I stopped growing Rampion and why the children's book she found is so similar to our lives. I know why, and I have no intentions of telling her. This morning she came down especially happy, and I asked her why. Her response,

"Can't I just be a happy teenager?" I shrugged and brushed it off, but if there was one thing I knew it was that she was hiding something from me. And when she hides something from me, I know exactly how to get to the bottom of it. I dropped her off at work, as usual, and returned home. I made my way up the stairs and into her bedroom. There was a necklace on her dresser that I had never seen before, as well as a vase of lilies. My eyes scanned the room, _if I were a 17 year old girl, where would I keep my diary?_ I thought. Then it hit me, if Rapunzel was hiding something she'd keep it under her mattress. I ran over to it as quickly as I could, finding my treasure easily, the key was hooked on the purple pencil that came included with the book. I unlocked it and sat down on the bed to read it. I flipped the pages to the latest entry.

_Dear Diary, _

_ Eugene and I have been dating for two months as of today… _

_Dear Diary, _

_ Mother still has no clue that Eugene climbs into my room at night… _

_Dear Diary, _

_ Eugene and I are going to the lights festival after work today. Amanda agreed to cover for us…_

Eugene… Eugene… Eugene… who was this Eugene person and why were he and my daughter dating behind my back? I dropped the book like it was burning hot and ran from the room, and into my own opening my bedside drawer and pulling out a handgun. I never wanted to have the need to use it… but it was for the best.

**Rapunzel**

"Hey Blondie, are you ready to go yet?" Eugene called from outside of the kitchen as I clocked out for the day. I walked out and we embraced, ending it with a kiss.

"Yep, let's get out of here," I replied in a relieved tone. It was my 18th birthday, and tonight was the festival of the lights. Not only would it be an adventure, but I hoped to find out more about my past. Eugene turned to Amanda as she stepped out of the kitchen.

"So here's the plan, Amanda and I will go ask mother if we can go to the festival, once we get there Eu- Flynn will take me off your hands and you'll take me home at the end of the night," I told Amanda. She nodded in confirmation.

"We'll be back in a minute, go get in my car," she said to Eugene. He obeyed and left the restaurant, avoiding Mother's van at all costs. As soon as he was gone, Amanda pulled a gift from her purse.

"Happy Birthday Rapunzel," she said. I eagerly opened the gift and inside was nail polish and other girly stuff.

"Thank you Amanda!" I said, hugging my friend. She smiled and beckoned the way out.

"What are we waiting for? The festival waits!" she said happily. I nodded and we made our way outside to the van.

"Are you ready to go Rapunzel?" Mother asked as soon as we approached the car.

"Actually, I was wondering if Amanda and I could go to the festival tonight, it's supposed to be a lot of fun!" I told her. Mother looked over Amanda and then looked at me.

"Well… since it's your birthday…" she said hesitantly. My face lit up, hoping she'd say yes. "I suppose you could go…" I pumped my fist in the air.

"Don't worry about Rapunzel; I'll keep an eye on her!" Amanda said to my mother to reassure her.

"Have fun girls," Mother said with a smirk on her face. We waved as she drove off. I stood in silence as Amanda made her way to her car.

"Rapunzel? What's wrong?" she asked when she noticed I wasn't next to her. I turned.

"Nothing, let's go," I said, brushing my thoughts aside and catching up with Amanda. We got into her car and she drove off. I couldn't help but wonder if Mother's behavior was weird, almost as if she had something planned. I didn't expect her to agree so readily. It didn't matter at that moment because I got to spend the evening with Eugene!

**

* * *

**

Ever since Mother and I had arrived in Corona I had heard of this festival. There was singing and dancing and special sales at all of the shops. When it got dark, the hosts of the party, Nicholas and Elizabeth Phillips, the local millionaires of Corona would release a lantern into the sky, to honor their daughter who was taken years ago. The rest of the town would then release theirs. It was supposed to be quite the sight with the lanterns. I hoped that I could find out more about my past at this party. Upon arriving in Corona Square, Amanda went off to do whatever she does while Eugene and I spent time together.

"So Blondie, what would you like to do first?" he asked upon seeing my shocked expression at everything going on.

"I'm kind of hungry. Working at a restaurant can get you really hungry sometimes," I said. Both of our stomachs let out a low growl as soon as I said this.

"Then dinner it is," Eugene said, holding out his arm for me to take. We made our way to an outdoor restaurant where I noticed that a couple of people were talking about something that peaked my interest.

"It's the girl's 18th birthday today. They still haven't heard anything?" one of the men said. He was tall and well built, with a tuxedo on. The other man, who had a similar tuxedo on and was a good foot shorter, shook his head,

"You'd think that 18 years would be enough for the poor miss, her only daughter taken? She hasn't spoken a word since that night! The girl with the million dollar hair, what I'd give for a bounty like that!" I gasped, and fingered my golden locks.

"Did you hear that Eugene?" he looked up at me from his menu.

"Hear what?" he asked. I took that as a no.

"Two guys were talking about how the girl this festival is for has million dollar hair! I wonder what that's all about," I said. Eugene shrugged.

"I'm sure it has nothing to do with you, don't worry about it," Eugene said, turning back to his menu. I couldn't help but eye the men who were talking. "So what are you getting?" Eugene asked suddenly. I turned back to my boyfriend.

"I think the summer greens special looks good," I said. Eugene nodded and set down his menu as the waiter came back to take our orders.

* * *

I kept my eyes on the men who were talking about "the girl's 18th birthday". It was my 18th birthday, so why couldn't it be about me? I dragged Eugene along following them down the road, hoping to catch more information.

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Eugene asked as the men stopped to buy a hot dog at one of the carts.

"Because I need to find out more about my past," I told him in a whisper. When I looked back up, the men were heading toward the mansion. "Come on, let's go!" Eugene sighed and followed me to the mansion where the two men sat outside and ate. I listened in on their conversation from some bushes, hoping that I would catch something.

"I feel bad that we have to go back in there Todd, the missus is terribly upset that she's gone without her daughter for 18 years," the short, stout man said to the other. "Our job was to find her and goodness she could be hiding in broad daylight for all we know!" The other man, Todd swallowed a bite of hot dog and turned to the man talking.

"Moonlight, the sun is setting," he said, taking another bite.

"Whatever… the point is, this girl has hair that's worth a million dollars per foot, you'd think that whoever stole her away would at least sell the hair by now!"

"You never know, it takes a year to grow a foot and a half, if she stole the girl as a baby and she hasn't cut it _yet_ then I would think she has 20 feet of hair by now!" I gasped and grabbed a bunch of my hair. Eugene gave me a surprised look as the men continued talking.

"What did they name her again? Reena? Revonda? Raphaela?"

"Mm, Rapunzel," the other man stated. I gasped at the sound of my name. "Hey! Who's there?" the tall man yelled out. Eugene grabbed my wrist and ran from the bushes with the two men screaming after us. As soon as we were seemingly safe from the men who had been talking I fingered my hair again.

"Eugene… they said that the girl's name was Rapunzel. Do you think that could be me?" I asked in a frantic whisper.

"I can't be sure Blondie, there could be hundreds of Rapunzel's with 20 feet of blonde hair," he stated. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him, raising an eyebrow. "Well suppose it _is_ you they were talking about! How would you convince them that you're the real thing?"

"I- I don't know…" I said. "If I could prove that my hair was worth a million…"

"20 million," Eugene corrected.

"20 million dollars, they'd have to believe me!" I finished. I put my hand on my chin and pondered the reasons for hair being worth a million… no, 20 million dollars. Eugene did the same.

"What if there was some rare chemical in your hair that no other has?" Eugene suggested. I sighed.

"How would we prove that? I mean, it makes sense… but what chemical is so rare that it would make hair worth that much?" I asked. However, I never got my answer… because _she_ showed up…

**Okay, so I'm sorry for all the confusion regarding this chapter. It's a lot better than before so I'll keep working and make it all up to you by getting Chapter 10 posted ASAP. Please Review, thoughts are welcome! **


	10. Chapter 10: So Close, and Yet So Far

**As I promised, here is Chapter 10. Again, so sorry for all the Chapter 9 confusion. But hey, two chapters in one day, so hopefully you guys can forgive me **** here's chapter 10! **

Chapter 10: So Close, and Yet So Far

**Rapunzel**

Our thoughts were cut off by the sound of clapping. We turned around to find Mother, in a new getup, all black with silver jewelry and knee high black boots. Her usual puffed out hair was tied in a ponytail at the neck. She approached us in while clapping her hands in an unimpressed rhythm.

"Mother?" I cried in a squeaky voice. She stopped clapping and crossed her arms over her chest. She got close to me and put her index finger under my chin, her nail poking me.

"I congratulate you both," she hissed. "But I'm afraid that you now know too much for comfort. Come Rapunzel, we're going home." She grabbed my wrist and began dragging me away. I pulled away, causing Mother to turn in shock. I stepped back, suddenly afraid. "Rapunzel, come along now!" she cried. I shook my head. "Rapunzel…" I stepped closed to Eugene.

"I want answers Mother. Or should I even call you that?" I hissed. My question went unanswered, because I heard my name being called, and then everything went black.

* * *

My head felt light, and I didn't know where I was. I tried moving, but my arms were tied to something. I opened my eyes and saw Mother standing there with something in her fist.

"M-mother?" I asked. She looked at me and smiled.

"How are you feeling dear?" she asked. I shook away my fatigue and looked around. I was in my room back at the condo, and I was tied to one of my bed posts. I stood up but fell right back down at the resistance. "I'm sorry that I had to restrain you, but I'm afraid that you won't be leaving your room for a while.

"Why not? What's going on?" I asked. Then it hit me… Eugene! "Where's Eugene?" I asked. Mother stroked the item in her hands.

"Who dear? Oh, you mean Flynn Rider? He's where he belongs," she said. I shook my head.

"No… No… he did nothing wrong!" I cried. "What did you do?" I struggled against whatever was restraining me. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" I cried even louder.

"Why must you know everything dear? I feel like you know too much as it is," she said. I ground my teeth together and continued to struggle. "He's right where I left him." I shook my head, and it felt lighter than normal. I shook it again, and again… I looked down and saw that there was no train of hair coming off of my head. Then I realized what my mother was holding.

"You… you cut…" I stammered, unable to finish in my shock.

"I was wondering when you'd notice, yes. I cut off your hair," she said with a laugh. "Now I will take it, and sell it for that luscious 20 million dollars. And there's nothing you can do." I tried to escape one last time, before it all went black once again.

**Eugene **

"Hey, Flynn… Flynn, oh man, are you alright?" I heard Amanda's voice cut into the silence. I sat up with her help and rubbed my head.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine… where's Rapunzel?" I asked. Amanda's face took on a surprised expression.

"I thought she was with you!" Amanda cried. She helped me up and I rubbed my aching head. "What happened?"

"I-I don't remember… we had learned something… important about her past. Then her mother showed up and… that was all I remember. She must have taken her home or something," I said. Amanda looked worriedly at me.

"Well I hope she's okay," Amanda said. "Do you not remember anything else? Anything they said, did?" I shook my head and sighed.

"No, I don't. So hopefully she'll be at work tomorrow," I said. Amanda crossed her arms over her chest and nodded.

"I hope so too. Can I give you a ride home?" she asked. I rubbed the bump on my head and nodded.

"That'd be nice… thanks," I mumbled. Amanda put her arm under my armpit to help me walk, and led me to her car. But I couldn't help feeling that something was terribly wrong.

* * *

The next day at work was exactly as I suspected. Rapunzel was nowhere to be seen and I was getting really worried. I missed her, and it hadn't even been 24 hours. I noticed that Mr. Nose was talking with someone on the phone, and he seemed distressed. I snuck over and tried to listen in.

"I understand, thank you for telling me, alright. Goodbye," he said. I tried to hide behind a pillar, but he noticed me. "Rider, come over here!" he said. I obeyed and met him at the phone.

"Unfortunately, Rapunzel no longer works here. Her mother, Gothel, called in and said that she quits. You're the new assistant Mother… Father, duck. Congratulations," he said. I gave a fake smile to hide my shock. The first chance I got, I ran to Amanda.

"Amanda, come here!" I cried. She followed and we hid in the back.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Rapunzel… I really think that she's in trouble," I told her frantically. "Mr. Nose just told me that she _quit her job_. Rapunzel would never do that, she loves it too much here!" Amanda put her hand to her chin, pondering my words.

"You're really worried about her aren't you?" Amanda said. I nodded and sighed.

"We need to find her; I'm worried that Gothel did something horrible to her…" I said frantically. Amanda sighed.

"I'm sure that whatever reason she has, it doesn't involve her mother," Amanda said. I walked over to my satchel which was hanging on my assigned hook and pulled out a folder.

"That's just it; I think it _does_ involve her mother. Last night, I was curious about this woman who calls herself Rapunzel's mother, so I hacked into DMV databases…"

"You _hacked in_?" Amanda cried. I shushed her and opened the folder, showing her a picture of Gothel.

"I put in her description and no Gothel came up, but this woman, Odessa Linkhart did matching Gothel's exact description down to the little overbite. According to her work history, she used to work for Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, none other than the parents of the girl with 20 million dollar hair…" I said, proud of my findings.

"Are you saying that Rapunzel is the Phillips girl?" Amanda asked. I nodded and closed the folder.

"What I think, is that she's in trouble, but I'm going to need your help." A sly grin crossed Amanda's face.

"What do you have planned Mr. Rider?"

**And that completes Chapter 10. Hope you enjoyed the double update, the new semester begins tomorrow, so I will update as soon as possible. Lunch and before school I will work and I should have a new chapter up by tomorrow. Reviews make my day so see the button? Ya, it wants to be clicked. So CLICK IT. And Chapter 11 will be up sooner! Thoughts are welcome! **


	11. Chapter 11: Search and Rescue 1

**I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of my reviewers on this story. I have more reviews than my other stories, and it makes me so happy! So here goes, **

_AIOFanNCRM, Romance and Musicals, Princess Sharazad, Charmaine, ThatChickWithTheHair1, SweetDreamzz3116, Cmusiclover92, Soccermustang, Kyoru-KiTTY-ArTist, 13Overload13, splattermusic, and IceSiren89. _**You guys are the best, and I hope you continue to review. There are only 5 chapters left (and an epilogue) so hopefully I can deliver what you want! Cuz you guys keep me going. So thanks again and here's Chapter 11. **

Chapter 11: Search and Rescue (Amanda's Mission)

**Eugene**

"Okay Amanda, you remember the plan right?" I asked Amanda as we hid behind her car in the visitor parking lot.

"Yes, for the millionth time, I know the plan," she said with an eye roll. I rolled my eyes back just for good measure as Gothel- Odessa, made her way out of the condo. She got in the van and pulled out, almost angrily. I got into Amanda's car, ready to follow her.

"Plan FAR is put into action," I said triumphantly. Amanda punched me in the shoulder and groaned.

"Good luck Rider, you're going to need it…" she said. I put my hand on her forearm, staring her in the eye.

"Keep her safe, okay?" She nodded as I drove off after Odessa. She wouldn't get away… not if Rapunzel was involved.

**Amanda**

I felt like a secret agent from the movies that I liked to watch approaching the building where Rapunzel lived. It was silent, and almost too easy. Why on earth would Odessa just leave Rapunzel and not expect her to try escaping? Then it hit me… she had to be unconscious… or worse. I sprinted to the door and kicked it down, the pain of the wooden door settling in moments after I walked into the well-kept condo.

"Rapunzel?" I called out into the house. "Rapunzel where are you?" I heard nothing as I approached the stair case. "RAPUNZEL?" I called out again. Suddenly I heard a muffled scream from one of the doors upstairs. A wave of relief washed over me as I ran up the stairs, two steps at a time and approached the door where the noise was coming from. "Rapunzel? Are you in there?" I asked to the door. The muffled screams were strongest behind the door. I jiggled the handle, _locked_, as suspected. I looked around for a key or some form of lock pick. I could always kick the door down again, but my foot hurt from the front door. I put my hands on my head and began pacing back and forth, and then I felt a bobby pin in my hair. I pulled it out and gave a sly smile. "Don't worry Rapunzel, I'll have you out in a moment," I said to myself, jiggling the pin in the lock. It clicked and I turned the handle, opening the door and standing in shock at the sight. Rapunzel was tied to her bed post, and gagged below the nose. What was most surprising was that her hair was short, cut to just below her ears, as if it had been cut with a shard of glass. Her eyes opened wide as I approached her and pulled the gag down. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Amanda, you're here!" she cried happily. I began to untie her wrists.

"Are you okay?" I asked, throwing the rope aside and helping her up. She was weak and fell into my arms. "I gotcha, you're safe now…" I told her. She gripped onto me and shook.

"Thank you… but mo- Gothel… she's going to do something horrible, something I couldn't imagine," she said. I helped her out the door and to the door. "Where are we going?" she asked. I walked over to the main road and hailed a cab, since Flynn took my car.

"We're going to my house, where you'll be safe," I told her. We got in the cab and I told the driver my address. She slumped against me in the cab and sighed.

"Thank you Amanda… thank you…"

* * *

"Mom! Mom?" I called out into my house. My mother, a plump woman wearing glasses and a green dress came down the stairs, she gasped upon seeing Rapunzel.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly. I led Rapunzel over to the leather couch and sat down with her.

"It's a long story, this is Rapunzel… she's been through a lot, do you have any food left?" my mother nodded and ran into the kitchen. She emerged with a bowl of soup.

"I'm okay you know…" Rapunzel said, rubbing her head and sitting up. "Where's Eugene?" I gave her a confused look as my mother sat down.

"Eugene? Who's Eugene?" I asked. Her eyes widened and she clapped her hand over her mouth.

"I meant Flynn… where is he?" she asked. I put the two and two together.

"Flynn's name is Eugene?" I asked. Rapunzel turned away and blushed. "He went after Odessa…" I said. Rapunzel's face took on a look of confusion. I sighed and explained everything as she ate. Who she was, who her "mother" was, even everything that Flynn found out. She listened intently, and finished her food eagerly.

"So he went after Mo- Go- Odessa?" she asked. I nodded.

"It was his idea, I'm sure he'll be okay. Don't worry Rapunzel," I reassured her. My mother put her arm around Rapunzel and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry dearie, Eugene will be okay. You can stay here with us as long as you like." Rapunzel embraced the comfort and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Thank you," Rapunzel said. "For everything." I smiled at her and we got up.

"You can stay in my room, I have a bunk bed!" I told her. Rapunzel smiled at me and we made our way upstairs. I pulled out my phone and checked for any word from Flynn. Nothing… I put my phone away and looked at Rapunzel. "So, what do you want to do first?" I asked, just as my phone went off. I pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. It was Flynn! I held the phone out to Rapunzel. She took it and hit the green answer button.

"Hello? Eugene?" she asked frantically, almost excitedly. She seemed excited to hear his voice, but when her face took on a downcast expression, and she held out the phone to me, I knew something was up.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking the phone from her.

"I don't know Amanda, the line died without a sound… what if he's hurt?" she asked. I put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure he's fine, we'll wait until the morning, try to call him, and if he doesn't pick up, I'll go look for him, okay?" Rapunzel nodded and gave a little smile. I walked into my closet and picked out a pair of purple pajamas. "Put these on, and get some sleep, okay?" I asked. Rapunzel took them gratefully and walked into the bathroom. I stood there and wondered if Flynn was okay, but I had doubts. And I'm sure Rapunzel did too.

**Rapunzel**

I laid with my face to the ceiling on the top bunk of Amanda's bed. She had saved me from my own house, her mother took me it, and she even loaned me clothing… I missed Pascal, I missed Eugene even more.

"Hey Amanda?" I called out into the darkness.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Eugene is okay? I'm really worried about him…"

"I'm sure he's just fine wherever he is right now…" Amanda muttered. I heard sheets ruffle; she was probably rolling over or something.

"Amanda?"

"Yeah Rapunzel?"

"Thank you again…"

"Don't mention it," she said. "Get some sleep Rapunzel…" I rolled to face the wall and closed my eyes, dreaming that Eugene would be okay.

**Yay for TRIPLE UPDATES! You better be happy. And make me happy by reviewing! The fate of Eugene Fitzherbert rests in YOUR hands, so click that review button! Please? **


	12. Chapter 12: Search and Destroy

**I am so happy that you guys are bearing with me and this story. There are only 3 chapters left after this one, and then a grand finale! I'm thinking about writing a sequel, just to pass the time. Tell me what you think it should be about, Odessa's return? How about Eugene and Rapunzel's life after the events of the story? Please tell me, and I will deliver. But for now, here's chapter 12. **

Chapter 12: Search and Destroy (Odessa's Tale)

**Eugene**

"Keep her safe," I told Amanda as I readied to chase after Odessa. She nodded and I took off, following the blue van. I hoped that she hadn't gotten too far away to catch, but when I noticed the car of my interest, I followed it, down the roads, weaving through town. She was onto me, I could tell. The longer I distracted her the longer it would take to complete her plans. I hoped and prayed that Rapunzel would be alright, Amanda was on it and I knew I could count on her. I could only have thoughts that this would all work out. The blue van weaved its way up the gravel path and to the Phillips mansion; she was doing exactly what I thought. She parked and got out; I stayed in the car for a moment. I hoped that by now Rapunzel was safe, and there was only one way to find out. I took out my phone and called Amanda. It rang once, twice, three times before I heard a voice on the other end.

_"Hello? Eugene?" _I sighed happily and smiled at hearing the sound of Rapunzel's sweet voice. She was okay, she was alive, and Amanda had completed her task.

"Rapunzel, you're okay, you have no idea how relieved I am!" I told her. She giggled on the other end and I could tell that she was smiling. I looked out the front window, and saw Odessa getting something from the back of her car. "I don't know when I'll be back, but I just want you to know that I'm okay and…" I didn't get to finish because the line died. My phone was dead, and I had no form of backup. I got out of the car and hid in some bushes, watching as Odessa brought out a bag filled with something. I didn't know what it was, but I knew she had intentions of selling it. Whatever it was, I was going to prevent it. She made her way up the narrower gravel path, leading to the front door.

"Odessa Linkhart!" I called out into the darkness. She turned around at the sound of her real name. Her fist was inches away from the door, but I had prevented it, to my relief.

"Oh, it's you," she scowled upon seeing my face in the moonlight. I felt pressure against my neck, my chest tightened up and I could tell that Odessa was holding a gun to my neck. "Come on, my business can wait." She led me away from the house and into the exact bushes I had been hiding in moments earlier. I couldn't help but be scared, not for me, but that I'd never see Rapunzel again. "Who else knows?" Odessa demanded. I kept my ground, and kept my mouth shut. "WHO ELSE KNOWS?" she demanded pushing the gun further into my back. If she didn't shoot me it would leave a bruise for sure.

"Just one other person," I said reluctantly. Odessa pulled the gun back and sighed.

"Who?" she asked, circling around me. I tried to hold my ground, but this time the gun was pressed to my heart.

"Amanda… a friend," I told her. The gun was retracted once more, as she circled around me again.

"What else do you know?" she asked, "If you answer, you just might get to escape with your life." She looked me up and down and her face took on a disgusted expression. "Although it wouldn't be a waste if I did shoot you," she added. I averted her gaze.

"I know that you aren't Rapunzel's mother, she's the Phillip's girl… isn't she?" I asked. I couldn't help but be afraid that she would shoot me. I clenched my eyes shut and waited for the shot but it never came. I opened my eyes and Odessa was looking off in the distance.

"I was the nursemaid when she was born," Odessa said. I rolled my eyes and braced myself for the backstory. "She was a beautiful baby. Being sterile myself, I had always wanted a child of my own. That woman, Elizabeth Phillips, was supposedly sterile. But when she got pregnant I grew jealous. The baby that grew in her womb was special, one that would be worth all the money in the world if I ever got my hands on her. I still remember the day of her birth…"

_It was a warm summer evening. Elizabeth's water broke in the middle of the night, and the child was coming fast. She had no time to get to the hospital, so I had been summoned. Elizabeth and I were best friends, so of course it was I who she wanted to be there. Her husband was there too, but honestly I knew more. The moment she arrived in the world I knew that she was special. As Elizabeth held her baby for the first time, she looked up at me and sighed in relief. _

_ "What will you name her?" I asked. She looked at the little blonde bundle and then at her husband. Then her gaze fell to me. _

_ "Rapunzel… her name is Rapunzel," she said. _

"She later told me that she named the child Rapunzel because as a child her mother read her the story every night. I was overcome with jealousy and took the child in the night as my own. I legally changed my name to Gothel, to match the book, and we moved to Kingsboro. When her hair reached 20 feet in length we moved back here to Corona. But thanks to you…" she said, holding the gun out to me. "She learned the truth, and for that… you must die…" I knew from the start that she had reasoning behind her backstory, stupid back stories.

"Now wait a second… you can't kill me!" I reasoned, backing up as she held the gun up once more.

"And why not?" Odessa asked. "I can't let you live, not if you're going to spill the beans…" I stepped back even further.

"Spill the beans? About what? The fact that you stole the girl with 20 million dollar hair?"

"Exactly…" Odessa said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go see Elizabeth. Goodbye, Flynn Rider." I heard a bang, saw a flash, and the next thing I knew a rush of pain shot through my chest. I collapsed on the ground as Odessa made her way toward the mansion. I crawled towards the door and saw a light, as well as the silhouette of a woman and a man. The last thing I saw was a pair of green eyes staring down at me, I heard,

"Maggie! Call an ambulance!" and I blacked out completely.

**Oooooohhh, what's going to happen next? Stay tuned for Chapter 13! It'll be up soon! **


	13. Chapter 13:From Past to Future

**I want to thank all of my reviewers from the bottom of my heart for your support and dedication to this story. 45 Reviews? That's like a dream come true for me. I encourage you all to keep it up as the story comes to a close. (Awwww). There are… 2 chapters after this one, and a prepared epilogue which will come out the day of Chapter 15. If I can get 13 and 14 up today (my intention) then it'll end tomorrow. But don't worry! It doesn't have to end! If you liked this, vote in your reviews for a sequel! I'll deliver for sure! But anyway, here's Chapter 13. **

Chapter 13: From Past to Future

**Rapunzel**

"I can't believe her! I just… arrrrggghhhh… I can't BELIEVE HER!" I cried out, grabbing my newly short hair and tugging. I stomped around the room, almost in a pacing manner. Amanda had left to find Eugene and had advised me to stay behind _"For my safety"_. I plopped down on Amanda's bed and looked at the steaming hot bowl of chili that her mother brought to me only minutes earlier. We had tried calling Eugene first thing in the morning, and then again at noon. It went directly to his voicemail, which made me tear up at the sound of his voice. After the fourth time getting his voicemail we knew something was up. I hoped that Eugene was alright, and honestly I was having doubts. I took the bowl of chili in my hands and thought about the information that Amanda had given me. All of these years I had been raised by someone I thought truly cared. But because of that book, I found out the truth, and now the man I loved was suffering. My best friend was doing _my_ job for me. I tried to eat, but something was stopping me. I set the bowl down and put my face in my hands. There was a knock at the door and in walked Amanda's mother.

"Rapunzel, are you alright?" she asked. I looked up at her and shook my head. There was no use hiding it anymore. I was not okay at all; I wished that I could say I was even the least bit okay.

"No… I'm not," I said. Amanda's mother put her arm around me and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

"Are you willing to talk about it?" she asked. I nodded slowly; maybe talking it out would help.

"Well, from what Amanda told me, I'm apparently the Phillip's long lost daughter…" I began. "And truthfully, it all went downhill from there..."

**Amanda**

I felt bad that I told Rapunzel to stay home. I knew that if something had happened to Eugene that she would be too devastated to deal with the truth. I saw my car outside the Phillips mansion. Had Odessa gone there? There was only one way to find this out.

"Driver, let me out here please," I said. The man driving the taxi obeyed and pulled up to the gate of the mansion. I paid him and made my way up the gravel walk. I saw my car had been left right where Eugene parked it. I figured that he might hide, but I couldn't be sure. That was, until I saw the pool of red that blended in with the grass behind the bushes. I heard the click of a shot gun behind me.

"Hey! Who goes there?" a voice yelled out. I turned with my hands up and saw the owner of the mansion with a gun in his hands. "What are you doing on my property?" he demanded. I gulped nervously before responding.

"I was just wondering if you found a man around here late last night… my friend and I are really worried about him," I explained. The man, Mr. Phillips apparently, lowered his weapon. He ran his fingers through his hair, perhaps trying to recollect if he had seen Eugene or not.

"A man? Actually, yes I have. I heard a gunshot and came out to investigate. He's in the hospital now; that was the last I heard or saw of him…" he said. I gasped, thinking of how Rapunzel might take this.

"Thank you sir," I said, getting ready to leave.

"Wait… who are you?" he asked. I turned to face him.

"I'm Amanda Collins," I said before running off down the path to my awaiting taxi. "To the hospital! Now!" I cried, pulling out my phone as the driver took off. "Come on Rapunzel… pick up, pick up!" I chanted to myself, hoping that Rapunzel would answer.

**Rapunzel**

"And I guess that leads up until now," I explained to Mrs. Collins. She had listened intently to my whole story. And now that I was through, it was her turn to ask me questions. But before she could, my phone rang. It was Amanda. "Amanda! Did you find him?" I cried into the phone.

_"Oh, I found him… well, not exactly. But I know where he is," _Amanda said on the other end of the line. I sighed in relief.

"That's great! Where is he?" I asked frantically. Amanda sighed before responding. I heard a set of doors open and close, and then I heard a loudspeaker in the background. Finally, she responded.

_"Rapunzel… Eugene is in the hospital…" _

**Okay, I know it's a much shorter Chapter. But I feel that's all that needs to be said. Chapter 14 should be a little longer, considering it leads up to the finale (sorta). So, stay tuned because Chapter 14 and 15 will be much better. R&R Please. **


	14. Chapter 14: By Your Side

**Wow, I can't believe how fast this story is coming to a close! Okay, so to make up for the shorter chapter last time, I will work extra hard to finish this and make it AMAZING. Because the next chapter is indeed, the last (- the epilogue) and frankly I am not ready to give up such awesomeness! So, I will be writing a sequel. But right now, I should finish this up because my muse is turning to Alice in Wonderland and I can't have that. So gotta finish. **

Chapter 14: By Your Side

**Amanda**

"Rapunzel… Eugene is in the hospital," I told her sadly as I walked into the room where Eugene lay. "Yeah, come right over… I'll be waiting." I hung up the phone and looked at Eugene's still body. He was in a hospital gown, with an IV hookup in his left arm, and a heart monitor hookup on his right hand. The monitor was beeping steadily, which was good.

"He got shot in the chest, we managed to get the bullet out, but he doesn't have much longer…"a voice said from behind me. I turned to face a man who looked like a doctor; he held a clipboard and wore think rimmed glasses.

"How long does he have?" I asked, turning from the doctor to Eugene.

"I can't really say exactly, he could survive and wake up, or he could pass within the hour. I'm sorry," he said. I stared at Eugene's body, the monitor still beeping steadily in the background. I sighed and felt tears coming to my eyes. Suddenly I heard feet patting in the distance. I turned and in ran Rapunzel, red faced with terror in her eyes.

"Oh my god… Eugene!" she cried, running over to him and throwing her arms over his body. She began crying into his chest. His heart monitor didn't speed up or slow down. I went and put a reassuring hand on Rapunzel's shoulder blade, rubbing it comfortingly as she cried over Eugene's body. I couldn't help but feel awful, like this was somehow my fault even though it wasn't. It wasn't anybody's fault except for Odessa's, because she stole the child… and she shot the one man that Rapunzel couldn't be without. I bit my lower lip and silently cried with Rapunzel as she did. I turned to face my mother and the doctor, who were talking silently. I could overhear only snip-it's of words, I made out _"We aren't sure that he'll make it… the chances are really slim" _I turned back to my crying friend, who hadn't budged.

"Rapunzel, he might not make it you know," I told her. I felt like someone had stabbed me when she stared at me angrily, not moving her arms from Eugene.

"No! He's going to make it! He has to!" she cried out, throwing herself back onto Eugene. I didn't do anything this time. She needed time with Eugene and that was that. I walked away from her and towards my mother.

"I think we should go outside for a bit. They need some privacy," I told her and the doctor. All three of us turned to Rapunzel and agreed that it was for the best that we leave them alone. I stepped out last, taking one last look at my friend before closing the door.

**Rapunzel**

"Eugene… Eugene…" I muttered, holding him as close as I could. His heart monitor sped up slightly, and I sat back as he opened his eyes.

"R-Rapunzel?" he asked weakly. I gasped in happiness; maybe this was a sign that he would be okay.

"Eugene, can you sit up?" I asked desperately. He attempted the simple task, but it was apparently too much for him to handle. He shook his head to the best of his ability, but even then it wasn't much. I sighed, knowing that he being awake even for the time being would be the best I could have. "I missed you," I told him, putting my hand under his chin. He gave me a slight smile, and winced in pain.

"I missed you too Rapunzel, Odessa won't bug you anymore," he said. I gave a sigh of relief and kissed him thankfully, in a very gentle manner. I could tell he was trying to kiss me back but no luck came his way in the situation. He winced in pain, and his heart monitor sped up slightly. "Rapunzel?" he asked weakly.

"Yes Eugene?" I asked frantically. His hand wrapped over mine and he smiled at me weakly.

"Will you stay by my side? I think it'd be better than dying alone," he said. We both knew it know, he wasn't going to survive. I took his hand and squeezed it, to know that I'd be there. I'd always be there for him. It was no secret that I was praying for him to live and not leave me. I put my head in the crook of his neck where he gently used the energy he had to stroke my short hair. I could tell he noticed the change, but I didn't blame him for not saying anything. I just lived in the moment as he was. He sighed and his monitor slowed down slightly. I sat up and took his hands in mine as he lied there. All I could do was pray that he'd be okay. All I could do was be there like he asked. I wanted him to stay with me. I wanted to be with him forever. I wished that I could do something to keep him here, with me and Amanda and our coworkers and everything. But we both knew has he squeezed my hand one last time that this was it. This was the end…

"Rapunzel…" he muttered. I turned to him with tears in my eyes. He gave me a reassuring smile and said, "I love you… and I always will." Tears rolled down my cheeks and I laughed a little.

"I love you too Eugene… and I always _always_ will. No one can replace you," I said. Eugene smiled at me and closed his eyes. Then his heart monitor flat lined, and I felt a pang in my heart. He had died… he had left me… "Eu-Eugene?" I stammered, tears rolling down my cheeks. "No… no… you can't be… don't leave me Eugene! Please! No…" I cried, throwing myself on his body. "You can't die… You can't leave me here alone…" I sobbed. "Please… please don't leave me here… take me with you… Eugene…" I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Amanda. She sighed and took me into her arms, where I cried on her shirt and mumbled nonsense.

"You did everything you could Rapunzel," Amanda muttered to me. I kept crying.

"He's gone… he's gone…" I cried. Amanda held me tight and tried to pull me away from Eugene's body. I resisted and stayed right where I was. Amanda sighed, knowing she couldn't do much with stubborn old me, and she left me alone with Eugene once more. I held myself close to him and cried. I just cried and cried and cried… he was gone and I couldn't do anything about it.

**Yes, I know. Suspenseful ending. But frankly, it isn't over yet! (Cheers) So stay tuned for the final chapter and epilogue tomorrow. Everyone says snow day so I have the time to get it done! R&R Plz! **


	15. Chapter 15: To Hell and Back

**Okay, so I just want to thank you all for sticking with me all this time. I really appreciate your support for this and I feel that you all deserve the best chapter that you could ever read. Since we have a snow day today (who knew right?) I have all the time I need to finish it up. So, here is the last official chapter, the epilogue will be up at the same time. I will be writing a sequel soon, but again, Alice in Wonderland has my brain tied up so… yeah. Here's Chapter 15.**

Chapter 15: To Hell and Back

**Eugene**

It was black… pitch black. I had no idea where I was or where I should go. My chest didn't hurt anymore, and I could tell that something was up. I looked around and saw nothing but the inky darkness surrounding me.

"Hello?" I called out. "Is anybody here?" nothing… no sound, not even the echo of my own voice was heard. I began walking one way, but there was nothing. I turned and walked the other way. I appeared to be going nowhere in the darkness. Had I died? Was my life over? I fell to my knees and sighed, wishing that something would show, some sign would come about that told me where I was supposed to go. While I pondered these thoughts I was suddenly blinded by a flash of light. I blinked at the floating light, and saw in it the image of Rapunzel the day we met, it flashed between events, our dates, and then it flashed to a girl with short blonde hair crying over a body. I reached out and could tell what was going on. That was Rapunzel, and she was crying over my dead body.

"Eugene Fitzherbert?" a voice came from behind me. I turned my back to the light and saw as a man emerged from the darkness, he held a clipboard in one hand, and a glowing blue orb rested in his other palm. I gulped back all of my fear and stepped towards him.

"That's me…" I said nervously. He stepped forward and moved his head to imply that I was to follow him. I did so and suddenly all of the blackness was gone, and we were surrounded by ominous gray clouds. A large staircase appeared in front of me and I began to climb them. It was a long climb, and part of me felt like it would pass out, but the other part urged me forward as if there was a great gift at the top. I kept going on until I stumbled up to the top. I landed on what I thought was a cloud, but I could have been mistaken. The man from the darkness stood looking down at me.

"There was an escalator you know," he stated. I groaned, brushing myself off. "Follow me Mr. Fitzherbert." I did as I was told and followed him into the growing mist. We emerged at a gate, and on the other side was a pit. I figured that I wouldn't get that second chance now. "Welcome to judgement day. It's very simple really," the man began. "_The Man_ will tell you what he feels should be your punishment. However, he believes that people deserve second chances. So you get to explain your case and he just might reincarnate you as something else. Or he might give your life back, or not at all. Depends on how he feels," the guy said. "I believe he's expecting you. Good luck." I stopped before entering the gates. I turned back and sighed, then entered what would surely be my end.

"Eugene Fitzherbert… I was wondering when you'd arrive," a man who looked similar to the man outside said. He wore a stunning white suit and sat in a big chair. He hopped down and approached me. "Take a walk with me Eugene, we need to have a chat," he said. I couldn't help but be nervous. He led me down some very well kept streets where people were happy and smiling. I couldn't help but like what I saw. "Liking what you see?" he asked suddenly.

"Very much," I said with a hint of sadness in my voice. We stopped and he stared at me.

"What's wrong Eugene?" the man asked.

"Well sir, it's very nice here… but I feel like I don't deserve any of this," I told him. He gave a low chuckle and we kept walking.

"Truthfully Eugene, no one here does. But anyway let's keep going," he led me through a passage and I saw that everything turned red. It wasn't nearly as nice as before. I looked around skeptically, saddened that if I couldn't convince the man of my need to be with Rapunzel, then this is where I'd end up. I saw Odessa chained to a pillar in the distance.

"Sir… is that?" I asked.

"Odessa Linkhart, yes sir. She was caught by the Phillips guards and she killed herself to avoid anything else." As we passed she looked daggers at me. The man made me turn away as we kept walking. We ended up back where we started. He climbed back into his chair. "So Eugene, let's pull up your file," he stated, pulling out a thick manila folder. I gulped. "Hmm, Eugene Fitzherbert… age 22, sex male… yada yada yada, parents both dead… no siblings… fair amount of mistakes, I notice that you were a thief until you met this Rapunzel girl, am I right?" he asked.

"I was sir. For the first part of my life I did it to survive. But as I got older I found myself doing all the wrong things. Then I met Rapunzel, she turned my life around sir," I told him honestly.

"I see, and is that Rapunzel who's crying over you right now?" he asked, showing the image I saw earlier. I nodded in confirmation.

"It is sir. I love her, she needs me!" I said. The man closed the folder and stared at me.

"I know…" he said slowly. "She needs you, and you need her. Am I correct that you died, for her?" he asked. I nodded. I _had_ indeed died for her. It was all for her. And he knew it as well as I did. He climbed down from his chair and approached me again.

"You know Eugene, every human makes mistakes. I understand that. But what I understand most about you is that you really are in love with her. There are select people who will take a bullet for the one they love. So you don't need to convince me that you deserve a second chance at life. I'm very well convinced. I'm going to give it to you, free of charge."

"Y-you are? I-I can go back to Rapunzel?" I stammered in disbelief. He simply nodded as the man from before appeared with the blue orb. He handed it to me and I took it, suddenly feeling a shock.

"Don't waste your second chance kid… I'll see you again in the future," the man said, waving as I rose into the air. My head rushed through cloud after cloud, until finally it went black again…

**Rapunzel**

It had been well over an hour since he left me. I cried over him, hoping that some miracle would bring him back. Amanda came in and I refused to budge again. Suddenly, I heard a beeping noise. I raised my head and looked at the heart monitor. It was beeping again… he was alive. I gasped and moved my damp hair from my eyes, hoping that it wasn't some fluke.

"Eugene?" I gasped, almost at a loss for breath. My heart pounded as he opened his eyes slightly, and then all the way. He stared up at me and smiled.

"Hey there," he said. I gasped and attacked him in a hug, this time his arms wrapped around me and held me close. I cried into his hospital gown and he held me tighter. We broke our embrace and I kissed him with all my might. He was alive! He was here! He was kissing me back! He sat up and I sat on the edge of his bed. I whacked his arm, hard. "What was that for?" he asked, rubbing it.

"For leaving me!" I cried, bursting into tears. He put his hand on my cheek and wiped away my tears, staring at me with his crazy brown eyes. "Where did you go anyway?" I sniffed. Eugene only laughed.

"For you? I went to hell and back," he said before closing his lips over mine once more.

**And scene! No, just kidding! There's one more part! Which should be up now! So before you click the next button, click the REVIEW button. It's the magicalness of the review button that gave this story such amazingness. So review then read the REAL ending to the story. Thanks for reading!**


	16. Epilogue

**Well, here we are. The epilogue of the story. *Tear* I'm very glad that you all stuck with me and reviewed all this time. It makes me happy knowing that you all liked this story and I hope that you will be as kind with future Tangled Fanfics that I write. So, again… thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I hope you enjoy the last bit of modern. **

**I just want to thank each and every one of my reviewers real quick, **

_Looka'sMagicHell, The139Blossom, ThatChickWithTheHair1, Romance and Musicals, Sweetdreamzz3116, AIOFanNCRM, kkdelabean, PrincessShahrazad, Kyoru-KiTTy-ArTist, shatteredreality, Tammy, Charmaine, Cmusiclover92, Soccermustang, 13Overload13, splattermusic, _and_ IceSiren89. _**Your support means the world to me and I hope you will review the sequel which will be out soon. Vote in your reviews for what it should be about! **

**~MrsNaara**

Epilogue

"And now I present to you, Corona University for the Arts' graduating class!" the headmaster of studies called out. Eugene and I stood happily next to each other, each in our own caps and gowns, diplomas in hand. As tradition, all the newly graduated students threw their caps in the air and cheered. It was a joyful day; I had graduated college with an art major, Eugene with a major in the culinary arts. Who knew that Atilla could be such a great teacher? Four long years of studying finally paid off as the blue caps rained to the ground and we all continued cheering.

"Congratulations Eugene, Rapunzel," Amanda said excitedly. "Rapunzel, someone special is here to see you as well," she added. I looked around, confused. Amanda pointed in the direction of a couple standing near the back of the chairs, looking around for something. Eugene and I linked hands and made our way over to the couple. The man stepped forward; he had bright green eyes and blonde hair with tints of gray. The woman had blue eyes and golden hair. I recognized them as none other than Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, my parents.

"Congratulations Rapunzel, we're so proud of you!" Mr. Phillips, my dad (still had to get used to that) said, hugging me. I smiled to myself that I finally had a family again. My mother, the poor soul, had gone mute when I was taken. But I could tell that she was thinking the same thing as she took me into her arms. Eugene smiled from the sidelines as I received many other congratulatory remarks from neighbors and friends. Eventually, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back behind the stage where we had received our diplomas. He looked around to make sure no one was around and he got on one knee.

"Rapunzel, we've been dating for five years now, and I was right to wait until we graduated from school, but I can't take it any longer." He swallowed before continuing. "Rapunzel Phillips, will you marry me?" I found myself gasping as Eugene pulled a ring from under his gown, placing it on my finger as I stared in awe. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I embraced my boyfriend… no, my fiancé, and we kissed. I cried into his gown and said yes probably a thousand times before we heard rhythmic clapping.

"How romantic," Amanda said. "You two are finally getting married." I laughed and put my arms around Eugene's neck, kissing him on the cheek. Amanda sighed happily and I left Eugene's arms only briefly to hug my friend.

"Thank you for everything you did Amanda, you're the best friend a girl could ever have!" I said. She took the hand that Eugene had put the ring on and examined the stone in the sunlight. We hugged again and I returned to Eugene. "I see it only fit that you get to be my _maid of honor_," I said in a sing-song voice. Amanda gasped and started squealing, jumping up and down excitedly. Eugene and I laughed, sharing another kiss. And that… was just the start…

**Is there any need to continue? Nope. It's over. If you're still here, thank you again. It means so much that you stuck with me all this time. I hope that you'll review this final installment. However, I **_**do **_**need ideas for another story, perhaps a **_**sequel? **_**Ohohoho, tell me what you think! (I need something to do anyway). Thanks for reading! **


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